


Obsession

by wicciangirl



Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), American Idol RPF, Kris Allen (Musician)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-25
Updated: 2014-01-25
Packaged: 2018-01-09 22:24:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 56,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1151523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wicciangirl/pseuds/wicciangirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kris never realised one friend could mean so much, until one day he sees that Adam isn’t just a friend – he’s an obsession and one he’ll do anything for</p>
            </blockquote>





	Obsession

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I know none of these people, nor do I own them, they own themselves. This never happened.

Kris couldn’t breathe, someone asks if he’s alright but he's lost his voice. Adam had been attacked and injured to the extent that he needed to go to hospital. Kris refused to contemplate what that could mean, how injured Adam could be. Kris didn’t answer the people around him, running to the basement and rifling through Adam's clothes for something loose enough not to hurt against tender skin for when Adam came home. He ignored the now dangerously high pile of discarded clothes, letting out a yell of victory at finding a pair of fairly loose jeans and a black hoodie. Knowing Adam would want to avoid attention got a a pair of sunglasses from Adam's side of the medicine cabinet they shared. Finding a pair of black army boots and deciding they were probably the lowest heeled boots in Adam's collection he added them to Adam's hospital bag.  
  
“Is something wrong with Katy?”

Kris stared at Danny in confusion, unable to understand why he’s asking about Katy before clarity hits, no one knows about Adam. No one knows how he falls asleep with Adam’s face in his mind or how he finds himself thinking of the man seemingly all the time; what would Adam think of his family, of the arrangement he had come up with, of the clothes he was buying. Adam never seems to be far from his thoughts even when talking to Katy he finds himself mentioning something Adam said or did.

 “Adam’s in hospital,” Kris answered knowing from the look on Danny’s face that he’s confused but not caring about it. His only concern is Adam; sarcastic, arrogant, bitchy, brave, beautiful Adam who’s in hospital all alone because some cowards attacked him.

 “Oh God, do you think he’s okay? Did they say how hurt he was?”

 "He’ll be fine. We need to get to the hospital,” Kris said to reassure himself as much as Alison.

The next thing Kris knows he is outside the hospital, with only vague recollections of being inside a cab. He didn’t care how he had arrived outside the hospital, he only cared that he was there. A part of him wondered just how much Ryan knew about his feelings for Adam since the presenter had called him personally to say Adam was hurt.

 Walking into the hospital Kris is overwhelmed by disinfectant causing a wave of nausea to overcome him. Heading to the front desk, with Alison’s hand in his Kris gave a polite smile nod the receptionist knowing it was best not to upset the man who would decide if he could see Adam.

 “How can I help you?” The receptionist said with a polite smile.

 Kris hurriedly asked, “Adam Lambert, he was brought in by ambulance. Where is he?”

 “Are you family?” The man asked with a smirk.

 "Yes,” Kris said willing to say anything so that he could see Adam, each moment he was away from the raven haired man making him think the worst.

 “Not according to American Idol,” The receptionist replied waspishly.

Kris was about ten seconds away from losing his temper, fuck the polite, innocent butter-wouldn’t-melt image that Idol had given him. He prayed for the strength to stop him from hitting the man knowing that if he did so there would be no chance of seeing Adam.

His prayers were answered when Alison said, “He’s like my brother, please let us see him.”

Kris was relieved to see the man’s face soften slightly at Alison’s heartfelt plea, the receptionist actually smiled reassuringly at the girl.

“He’s in cubicle 9. It doesn’t look too bad.”

"I’ll go and see him first in case he’s in the middle of getting dressed,” Kris said quickly knowing it wouldn’t help if Alison got all weepy when she saw Adam. The man didn’t need people crying all over him, he needed to be home.

 Kris half ran to the cubicle frowning when he heard Adam yelling, whoever it was would be in shreds by the time Adam was done if the man truly lost his temper.

“Fuck, no. I’m not staying!”

“Now Mr Lambert, you’ve got a concussion, four fractured ribs, bruises on your back and lacerations to your head. You are not in any condition to go walking around on stage.”

Adam sneered, “I don’t exactly feel like strutting around in my high heeled boots so you don’t have to worry about me taking it easy. There are people at home to look after me.”

Feeling this was a good point to interrupt, Kris walked into the cubicle knowing Adam wouldn’t be bothered by his presence. Adam would understand, the man could read him more than anyone, including Katy, Kris had to admit, even if it was just to himself.

Kris couldn’t help but stare at the bruise starting to form over Adam’s right eye and the cuts on his knuckles, making it clear that Adam had given as good as he gotten. It wasn’t a surprise, people seemed to think Adam was unable to defend himself but Kris knew differently; Adam wasn’t delicate. Adam could fight with the best of them and would take down as many people as he could before he fell.

“Adam,” Kris whispered unable to get out all the words out that were swirling in his mind.

“Hey Kris. It’s not as bad as it looks,” Adam said quickly after stealing a look at Kris.

Wishing he could find whoever had dared to lay a hand on Adam and punch the living daylights out of them Kris said, “Good because it looks awful.”

Feeling he was intruding the doctor left the cubicle to prepare the discharge papers knowing that his patient had someone to take care of him. He was surprised at the couple, knowing from his daughter’s obsession with American Idol that Kris was married but it was nothing to do with him so he ignored his curiosity

“I’m fine, honey.” Adam said on reflex knowing Kris wouldn’t care about the endearment since he had called Alison, Kris and Matt G, honey for months.

Although Adam wasn’t as open about his sexuality to the audience of American Idol, it was a open secret to everyone on the show. He had never been ashamed of his sexuality as the pictures making the rounds had shown but that didn’t mean he had to flaunt it to the audience, at least until he had a signed contract in his hand. When he did he was going to burst out of the closet American Idol had put him in and woe betide anyone who got in his way.

“I’m staying with you tonight,” Kris stated rather than asked, he wasn’t going to leave Adam alone when he was in pain.

“Oh are you?” Adam said with a smirk before continuing suggestively, “If you wanted to get me into bed, you only had to ask, babe.”

Kris laughed at Adam’s sultry voice, used to the innuendo by now. It was almost a game for Adam to see how many blushes he could get out of the other contestants, his main targets being Matt G, Alison and Kris. The first few times, Kris had blushed and stuttered at the come on but now he just accepted it, at times he relished at having Adam’s attention all to himself. It was something that had worried him at first but now he accepted it; the sun rose in the east, the earth was round and Adam Lambert had the power to completely captivate him.

“How did you know I was here?” Adam asked confused.

“Ryan called, he said that the studio is going to send a car to get us from here. I’ve got no idea how he found out,” Kris said still wondering how Ryan could know so quickly that something was wrong. Perhaps the rumours were true and he didn’t sleep but stayed awake to catch even the smallest bit of information for his shows.

“So can we get out of here?” Adam asked eagerly.

“Sure, I’ve brought some clothes for you. I wasn’t sure how hurt you were so I got you something loose,” Kris said passing over the clothes at the same time.

“Thanks, can you help me?” Adam asked, hating that he to ask the question in the first place. He wasn’t used to having to ask for help as arrogant as it sounded, he was the one other people came to for help.

“Sure, man.” Kris said picking up the black shirt from the bed and quickly undoing the buttons.

A small gasp of shock escaped him as he took in the damage to Adam’s back, he could see four large bruises that could only be caused by someone kicking him repeatedly. Looking closer, he could actually see the indentation of a heel mark. Counting to ten in his head Kris focused on remaining in control, not wanting to lose it in public. It could wait until he and Adam were alone without people who wouldn’t understand how much he cared for Adam.

Ten minutes later Adam was dressed and carefully stood, reaching out to Kris when the world starting spinning.  Adam wryly thought this is why I hate having a concussion, he grinned when Kris immediately compensated to stop them from falling over and making a show of themselves. As much as he liked being the centre of attention, Adam had to admit that he would be only too happy to flee the ER without being noticed. 

Blushing Adam admitted, “I don’t think I’m going to make it out under my own steam. You up for playing my crutch, honey?”

“Of course. What side are your ribs hurt?” Kris asked quickly moving his grip to Adam’s waist.

“My right. Is anyone else with you?” Adam asked nervously.

“Ally and Danny. She’s pretty freaked,” Kris said apologetically knowing Adam would feel it was his duty to comfort her.

“Wonderful (!) Let’s go before anyone gets news of my being here. The last thing we need is for this to get out,” Adam said quickly knowing the shit would hit the fan when the press got wind of the fact that he was gay bashed.

Not saying anything, Kris reached into his pocket, pulling out a pair of black sunglasses. He gently placed them on Adam’s face, taking as much care as possibly not to knock the bruised eye.

“You’re my hero!” Adam said dramatically, placing one hand over his heart.

“Lucky me,” Kris retorted with a smirk as he quickly moved so that Adam’s injured side was against his body and smoothly wrapping a hand around the man’s waist before leading the way out of the cubicles to the reception.

“Adam, are you okay? Do you need anything?” Alison asked as she moved towards the pair.

Reaching out before the teen could hug the breath out of Adam, Kris warned, “Don’t hug him, he’s hurt his back.”

Adam sighed in relief at Kris’s words knowing Alison would have been upset if he had moved out of the way. He was happy that Kris hadn’t told her about his ribs because he had a feeling she would start panicking about what it meant.

Darting a look at Danny who hadn’t said anything. Kris could see the man was confused about something but since it wasn’t as important as getting Adam back home, he ignored it. He could deal with whatever had upset the annoying man later, Kris couldn't help but dislike the man since he was cold to Adam whenever the cameras weren't around. Adam had reassured him weeks ago that it was simply because Danny wanted to win and it wasn't anything to get upset about.  
  
The foursome walked to the desk, where the doctor was waiting with the discharge papers, they moved slowly taking into account Adam's injury and not wanting to draw any attention..

“Here you go, Mr Lambert. Although, I really would prefer it if you stayed here where you could be kept under observation.” The doctor advised with a smile, already knowing what the answer would be.

“Don’t worry, Doctor, I’ll take care of him,” Kris said, it was a vow he would keep no matter what he had to do Adam would not get hurt again.

Walking to the exit, Kris frowned in confusion noticing there were more people outside than he expected even for such a big town. Realising it could be the press, Kris clenched his jaw, there was nothing he could do about it and Adam was now beginning to sweat from the pain. 

Knowing someone had to take lead and as their de facto leader was now hurt Kris took over saying, “There’s press outside. Danny, walk on Adam’s other side. His ribs have been fractured and I don’t want them to get hit again. Alison, don’t worry. We’ll get out okay just stay close to us.”

Stealing himself Kris moved forward, not loosening his grip on Adam. As they stepped outside Kris found himself blinded by the camera flashes as questions were shouted at them. Remembering the PR training they had all undergone on reaching the top ten Kris ignored the questions, regardless of how much they upset him.

“Adam, how were you hurt?”

“Was it a fan?”

“How are you feeling Adam?”

“How does it feel to have been gay bashed?”

“Do you think this will stop the audience from voting for you?”

“Did you see your attackers?”

“Have you gone to the police?”

Ignoring the shouted questions from the reporters Kris led the group down the path, increasing the pace on hearing Adam gasp as someone knocked into Danny who stumbled into Adam. Kris couldn’t believe how careless the reporters were being, surely it was obvious that Adam was hurt since he couldn’t walk unaided? As they reached the edge of the crowd, there was a screech of wheels as their car arrived.

Looking at the car Kris sighed knowing it was going to hurt Adam to get in, he ignored the fact that Ryan had driven the car to pick them up. The presenter had become friends with Adam, neither would reveal what the pair talked about when they were together. Kris had let the subject go after hearing Adam snarling at Anoop that; he wasn’t fucking Ryan, he was allowed friends on the show, he didn’t use friends and if anyone had a problem with it they could go fuck themselves because he wouldn’t let selfish bitches dictate his life.

 “You okay getting in there?” Kris asked anxiously.

 “Sure,” Adam reassured as he looked at the car. It wouldn’t hurt too much as long as he didn’t move too quickly.

Once Adam was in the car, Alison took the seat on his left side out of fear she would knock his ribs. Kris took the other side squeezing Adam’s hand knowing he must have been scared even if he wasn’t showing it. Kris didn’t even contemplate letting Danny sit in the back with Adam, not trusting the man to keep Adam protected against any further injury.

Part 2

“Are you okay staying here tonight?” Ryan asked as he pulled up to the mansion.

Adam grinned at the concern, he knew if he stayed at Ryan’s place the night would be spent gossiping and bitching. Ryan was as bitchy in private as Adam and it was great. He got the feeling that Ryan didn’t get the chance to let everything out very often and was content to let the man blow off steam. Although, in that instant Adam wanted nothing more than to get in bed and if he went to Ryan’s there was no chance of going to sleep quickly.  

Kris glared at the presenter; he wanted Adam to be with him so that he could tend to any of Adam’s needs. Ryan had no right to disrupt their plans, he should have known there was no way Kris would let Adam be alone after such a vicious attack. Truth be told, Kris would prefer it if Adam agreed to remain close by whenever they went out but he couldn’t exactly demand it. 

“Yeah, I’m good. I’ll see you later,” Adam said as he waited for Kris to get out the car. 

After getting out Kris moved to help Adam out of the car pleased that the man had refused Ryan’s offer. Kris quickly gestured for Alison and Danny to walk inside not wanting anyone to get in the way, he had to get Adam to a soft bed where he could sleep without any pain. 

“Do you need any water or some painkillers?” Alison asked the injured man holding out a glass of cold water from the fridge. 

“I’m just going to bed, honey.” Adam answered eager to get to his room so that he could lie down. Exactly how he was going to do that was another matter, he didn’t think his ribs could take the pressure of him sleeping on his front as he normally did and his back was still radiating pain. 

Leaning into Kris, he let the smaller man take the lead happy to be the follower until he was feeling better. Kris would not hurt him, the man seemed to be determined to stay friends with him no matter what people said or thought.  

One night Adam had been unable to sleep and had been making his way outside to relax by the pool when he heard whispering. It was Kris on the phone to Katy who was saying that his friendship with Adam was causing people to say things since whenever he talked to friends and family he was always going on about Adam. Kris had replied that they were good friends and he was not going to stop his friendship with Adam no matter what. Adam had felt humbled by the announcement, they had not even known each other very long. It had made Adam even more relaxed around Kris, knowing that the man wouldn’t be confused or afraid of deepening their relationship. Adam had felt a connection with Kris since they had stared into each other’s eyes from across the room during Hollywood week.

********

“Kris, why are all my clothes in an untidy pile?” Adam asked taking in the clothes next to his full length mirror that he had delivered from home two weeks into the competition so he could  make sure he looked just right every morning.

With a shrug Kris answered, “I was too busy looking for something loose and soft for you to wear on the way back. I didn’t care about tidying up, I didn’t even know how hurt you were.”  

“Oh, Kris.” Adam said softly seeing the unspent tears in the brunette’s eyes.  

Although he couldn’t have the man in his life as his partner, he wanted Kris to be happy, in a bizarre way it reassured him that his suffering was not in vain. The thought of the man in tears dismayed him. 

Adam quickly suggested, “How about we go sit on the bed, baby?” 

The pair made their way carefully across the room, with every step Kris could feel his earlier fear and pain taking over him. He didn’t know how long he could go without breaking, he had almost lost Adam, he didn’t know how he would cope without Adam in his life.  

As soon as they were settled on the bed, Adam moved back and gestured for Kris to come closer, not reacting when his friend lay his head in his lap. It was a common position when they were alone, Kris seemed to find it comforting and relaxing. It had started the second week they were rooming together, Adam had expected after the first time Kris would have become uncomfortable around him.  

The first time Kris had been upset by some stupid comment a fan had made and they were talking about it upstairs since Kris didn’t feel comfortable talking about such things with the others. Kris had been so worked up that his head was hurting so Adam had suggested he sit down. Kris had flopped onto the bed and Adam had gently started running his hand through the other man’s hair in a bid to relax the tense man whilst desperately trying not to get aroused at the happy moans. Eventually Kris had moved closer so that his head was in Adam’s lap.  

Adam stopped the movement of his hand through that beautiful hair but Kris had moaned in distress and had whispered that it made him feel safe and cared for. So Adam had sat there for hours, feeling Kris’s body relax against him as the younger man fell asleep. He had looked down at the sleeping form and wondered just how he was going to survive the torture of having Kris so close when he couldn’t kiss the inviting lips or feel the beautiful hands on his body. 

In an attempt to distract himself and get Kris out of his head, Adam had invited his ex-boyfriend around and they had sex but there was something missing for him, when they finished he felt guilty. The next morning Kris was polite but cold to Drew until eventually the man left saying he was always available if Adam wanted a booty call. When they were alone Adam had confronted Kris on the behaviour fearing Kris really did have a problem with his sexuality despite what the man had said. Kris had retorted that he didn’t care about Adam being gay but he didn’t like Drew and Adam deserved so much more than the redhead. 

Adam had felt touched by the words and cursed yet again that Kris wasn’t gay, he was everything Adam looked for in a man. Of course, it was possible Kris was gay but in denial or bisexual but neither mattered since the man was married. Therefore, Adam hadn’t made any moves towards Kris knowing that even if the man did feel something it was unlikely that Kris would divorce Katy. Adam refused to be kept as  a secret lover waiting for crumbs of love and affection, he would not demean himself like that nor would he put Kris in that position because it would break the man. 

“I’m okay, Kris. A little bit bruised but I’m alright,” Adam reassured holding the still shaking hand in his. 

Kris had no idea how long they sat there, his hand clutched in Adam’s making him marvel yet again, at how amazing the black nail polish with red tips looked on Adam. Kris had never felt so terrified in his life as when he heard Ryan say that Adam had been attacked outside a club and was in hospital. Kris was relieved that Adam hadn’t pushed him away and that there was only one bed in each of the basement bedrooms because that meant Adam had no way of dismissing his injuries as insignificant. Sleeping in the same bed as Adam didn’t bother him, he knew Adam wouldn’t try to seduce him and he needed to see for himself that Adam could sleep okay.  

One thing was for certain, Adam was in no shape to be singing in two days time, he had scanned over the aftercare information the doctor had provided. It had said in bold that Adam would experience moderate to severe pain when breathing, often resulting in coughing fits, which would be painful and it was recommended that one arm be lightly wrapped around the injured side to support it when coughing. 

“We should go to bed, you need to sleep. Do you need any help in the bathroom?” Kris said eventually, breaking the comfortable silence. 

“I’ll be alright in the bathroom and I promise to yell if I need you. Go and get your stuff. The quicker you do, the quicker we go to bed and I’m tired.” 

Kris nodded quickly, carefully watching as Adam walked to the bathroom before rushing to his bedroom. He felt guilty for losing it and stopping Adam from going to sleep, he had indirectly hurt Adam, something he would have to make amends for since Adam would throw something at him if he apologised. Adam had quickly become tired of people in the house being so polite and apologising to everyone over the slightest thing.

******

Walking back into Adam’s room Kris was alarmed to see the man still hadn’t come out of the bathroom. Deciding modesty wasn’t as important as making sure Adam was safe, he opened the door and walked into the bathroom. He stopped when he saw Adam was in the shower, he could see the man had two arms on the wall in front of him allowing the water to hit his tender back.  

Since he was in the bathroom, Kris decided he may as well brush his teeth and said loudly, “Adam, I’m just brushing my teeth.” 

Inside the shower cubicle Adam frowned realising for the first time that there was no way he would be able hide the full extent of his injuries to Kris as he only slept in boxers. He had considerably downplayed them, not wanting Kris to panic. His legs were covered in vivid red bruises since his attackers had hit any part of him they could reach, of course Adam had hit back. Although he wasn’t a particularly great fighter, he had learnt how to defend himself after a friend was nearly killed in a robbery. He had been trained by a friend’s boyfriend in the art of street fighting; it was dirty and rough but practical. Adam had been taught to only fight any attackers until he had a chance to escape and he had tried to follow that method but when it was three against one, it wasn’t that simple. He had managed to get some good hits in, two probably had broken noses at least and the third was probably not able to walk straight courtesy of his fabulous swift knick to the nuts.  

Kris walked back into the bedroom, giving the older man a chance to get out the shower in private. He still marvelled at how Adam had managed to get undressed without hurting himself, but maybe the painkillers had started to kick in. Deciding it was best to tidy up the mess he had made earlier, Kris started picking up the clothes and placing them neatly away because Adam would be upset if anything was creased.  

At times, Kris felt Adam considered his clothes to be one of his most prized possessions; he could still remember the outraged and dismayed scream when someone had placed a booby trap above the kitchen door Adam had walked through, getting soaked in yellow slime. He had honestly thought Adam would hit someone; he spent a full hour bitching at all their fellow contestants as no one would own up the prank. Kris felt it was because they were terrified of Adam, understandable as no one had seen him so angry. Afterwards, Kris had walked upstairs to find Adam holding his t-shirt and crying, he had carefully walked in and hugged the man, wanting to be there for Adam as the man was for him whenever he needed comforting. He had never found out why the t-shirt was so important but that hadn’t mattered, all that mattered was that Adam was upset. 

“Earth to Kris...Snap out of it Kris,” Adam more or less ordered, smirking a little at the surprised jump from Kris. 

“Shit, Adam. What  happened to your legs?” Kris said frowning at the vivid bruises knowing that walking was going to be very painful for a while. 

Adam said dryly, “Little tip for you, gay bashers don’t care what part of you they hit. They seemed to be surprised this queer could fight though.” 

“Are you ready to go to bed?” 

“I’m always ready to be in your bed, honey,” Adam purred, pleased that for the first time in hours Kris was smiling.

“How do you sleep?" Kris asked thoughtfully. 

“By closing my eyes and generally laying down on a flat surface,” Adam teased. 

“I know that,” Kris said amused before continuing, “I meant on your back, side or front?” 

“Front, I don’t think I’ll be doing that tonight.” Adam said bluntly. 

“Well no. If you lie with me on your right side, I can sort of stop you from turning around too much and hurting yourself.” 

Seeing it would probably be the best solution, Adam nodded in agreement to Kris's suggestion. He waited for Kris to get into bed, grinning slightly at the careful positioning of Kris’s watch on the bedside table. It was obvious Kris was serious about taking care of him and it would only serve to break his heart in the long run by showing him how caring, loving and protective Kris was.  

At least Kris was wearing boxers and an old t-shirt making Adam think he might survive the night without pouncing, the younger man or trying to pounce given his current condition. Adam got into bed, shivering slightly at the feel of heated skin against his. One thing was for certain, he definitely had more than enough material for his fantasies now. 

“You cold?” Kris asked concerned. 

Adam hummed in agreement since he couldn’t tell the truth, mentally screaming when Kris’s arm reached around body to gently hold onto his left side. He closed his eyes focusing on trying to get to sleep. Adam smiled at his friend’s vow that nothing would hurt him again. He fell asleep thinking he hadn’t felt so cherished before.

*******

Looking at the clock Kris realised it was now a suitable time to wake Adam up, although he had been awake since five a.m. he had been happy to lie there thinking of how to make sure Adam was protected from more homophobic maniacs. Looking down at his chest Kris smiled wondering just how Adam had managed to move so Adam’s head was on his chest.  

“Adam, it’s time to wake up.” Kris said with seriousness that bellied his wide grin. 

Adam said quickly, “27, my black and silver boots, 2009, LA, Randy, Kara, Paula, Simon, red.” 

Kris said amused, “No, I’m not checking you are all there. It’s seven and we’ve got rehearsals at ten.” 

Adam groaned, “Fuck. I’m a walking bruise, how the hell am I going to sing? I know rock songs are supposed to sound raw but coughing in the middle of it is a major no-no.” 

Adam knew the producers would freak out but it wasn’t like he had asked to get attacked. If those bitches thought they were going to make him feel responsible for getting hurt, they were dreaming.  

He was just worried about his chances since he wouldn’t be able to sing, there was no way he was going to wreck Broken by coughing through it. It was a shame since he would have been doing a duet with Kris, having picked the man’s name out of a hat. They would have sounded great together and they had come up with the perfect arrangement. Sure, it was a strange song for two guys to sing together and it would probably cause a few raised eyebrows but they had chosen the Seether song together.

Seeing how anxious the other man was Kris reassured, “Don’t panic. I’m sure the producers have thought of something. I’m going to get you something to eat. Anything in particular you feel in the mood for?” 

“You don’t have to do that Kris,” Adam protested, sitting up and unable to stop the hiss of pain. 

“You're hurt and I don’t mind. I like looking after you,” Kris said honestly, moving the pillows on his side of the bed to support Adam’s back. 

Adam watched Kris leave the room, humbled by the kindness and gentleness the man had tended him with. Kris hadn’t made him feel weak, pathetic nor had he been expecting him to break. 

In the kitchen, Kris went through the cupboards to find a breakfast tray. Finding one he tried to think what to make Adam for breakfast, casting his mind back to what Adam had for breakfast that week; oatmeal, French toast, fruit salad with yoghurt, granola with apples, cinnamon and cream cheese bagel. As the older man hadn’t had an omelette for a while, Kris decided it would be perfect. As he was cooking, Kris looked up at the sound of someone clearing their throat to find Danny watching him with a weird look on his face. 

“What are you making? Where’s Adam, is he not coming to rehearsals?” 

“Breakfast. He’s in the bedroom and of course he is,” Kris said curtly. 

Finishing his cooking, Kris placed it onto a plate and quickly poured a glass of grape juice that only Adam drank in the house. Placing everything on the tray, he went to pick it up when Danny grabbed his arm. 

“You should be careful, Kris.” 

“About what?” Kris asked calmly, having a feeling that he wouldn't like what was coming. 

“Adam. People are beginning to say some weird things about you two. Doing stuff like making him breakfast in bed is only going to make it worse. ” 

Kris glared at the man, “First of all, my friendship with Adam is nothing to do with you or anyone else. Secondly, the only one who knows I’ve made breakfast for him is you. Now if you will excuse me, I don’t want Adam’s food getting cold.” 

Kris walked out the room, feeling Danny’s eyes on him. He wasn’t sure if what Danny had just told him was true or part of a plan to distract him or Adam from the competition. Even if it was true, Kris refused to let it have any effect on his relationship with Adam, it was too important to throw it aside because of some crazy rumours. They had a connection that went deeper than a casual friendship, they seemed to just fit right. Katy didn’t understand their friendship, saying it was weird and Kris tried in vain to make her understand but she couldn’t so Kris had given up trying to explain it. 

Opening the bedroom door, Kris smiled at the sight of Adam on the bed, reading an alternative rock magazine and looking as though he hadn’t a care in the world. 

“Breakfast is served, Sir. Can I do anything else for you?” Kris said in a haughty tone. He was confused at the strange expression on Adam’s face for a moment. 

Adam knew just what he would like Kris to do for him but he didn’t think the suggestion that Kris lay down so he could kiss his way down the younger man’s body would be received very well. Adam shifted slightly trying to disguise the physical reaction to Kris calling him Sir.  

Smiling Adam said, “Your services are no longer required, Jeeves. You may go and dress.” 

“Yes, Sir. Please, don’t try to put on your boots by yourself in case you pull something. I’ll do them when I come back.” 

Adam reluctantly nodded, watching as Kris left, thinking it was adorable how overprotective Kris was but he could see it becoming annoying in the long run. He wasn’t used to needing protection and it unsettled him, even though he knew Kris needed to take care of him to reassure the man that there was nothing seriously wrong. 

Kris timed it perfectly and stepped into Adam’s bedroom just as the man was ready to put on his boots. Adam had selected black pair with gold studs he had bought on reaching the top ten as a little celebratory present to himself. 

Adam sat on the bed since he could see Kris would not be deterred and watched as Kris picked up the boots and frowned. Adam knew it was due to the five inch heel but now he wasn’t dizzy it would be a synch to walk in them. He had done far more complicated things in heels than walk and sing. 

Once they were both ready the pair walked upstairs, Kris walking behind Adam in case the other man fell and hurt himself. Just as they stepped into the lounge, Alison squealed and rushed over to see for herself that Adam was okay. 

Worried about her friend Alison babbled, “Adam, you’re here. I thought you would have been asleep. You look good, well apart from the big black eye. I haven’t seen a black eye before, does it hurt?” 

“Of course I am, how could I deprive you of my marvellous presence?,” Adam said with a wink at the clearly anxious girl. 

Adam was surprised by Alison’s babble; it was something she did when nervous although she couldn’t think of what she was nervous about. Adam had noticed his black eye but he had resolved to wear sunglasses until he got a chance to pick up some more theatre make up so he could cover it up. He hadn’t thought to bring anything with him apart from his eyeliners, mascara and nail polish but then he didn’t think he would have to hide a black eye. 

“I’m going to wear sunglasses for now. Now let’s get going,” Adam said knowing it would be better to face the producers sooner rather than later.  

Sliding his sunglasses on, Adam led the way out of the mansion, dreading the day to come. He just knew it would be full of people asking if he was okay when if there was something wrong with him they would have known. No one escaped him when he was in full bitch mode.  
  
Part 3 

“What do you mean we if we duet our survival in the show is unlikely?” Adam asked snarling at the lawyers who had been introduced to him when he signed his contract. He should have known it was bad news when they called him and Kris into a meeting as soon as they got out of the car. 

The lead lawyer Maria Wood said briskly, “There are a large number of gossip websites indicating the two of you are intimately involved and this is bad for the American Idol franchise. If you do not comply, we will take steps to reduce the chances of either of you winning the show. We will reduce publicity for you two and an increase in publicity and celebrity endorsements for your opponents. This would undoubtedly have a negative effect on the number of votes you receive.” 

 “You can’t do that!” 

Ray Lee explained, “We can, Mr Allen. The agreement you all signed was that you would comply with any instructions aimed at preserving the good image, standing, and name of American Idol. A gay sex scandal would tarnish American Idol.” 

“So false rumours about my best friend and I having sex mean you are going to treat us like shit? That’s unbelievable; no one pays any attention to the tabloids anyway.” 

“We have research to suggest they do, Mr Allen. Good day gentlemen,” Sarah Rose said with a professional smile. 

The men watched at the lawyers left the room, Kris felt betrayed. He had not imagined the makers of the show could be so behind the times. It wasn't that big a deal anymore if people whispered that someone was gay and like all rumours they would die down eventually.

Adam wasn’t surprised, he had already been warned by Ryan that the show was conservative in some ways and would not allow any form of scandal. Ryan had said any scandal would be bad and an illicit relationship would be horrendous according to the bosses. At that point, Adam had realised Ryan knew about his feelings for Kris. He wasn’t sure if Ryan assumed he would make a move on Kris as Ryan didn’t say anything direct but it was enough that the presenter warned him. The problem was that all the warnings in the world were worthless when he and Kris were being found guilty by the press without anyone even asking them about it. 

“What are we going to do? They have no right to treat us like that!” 

Adam said seriously, “They do, Kris. We signed the contracts, and we’re locked in. Show business is a matter of jumping through hoops for a while, when you have a signed contract you have a bit more freedom but there are always people trying to dictate your actions, words and feelings.”  

Once Kris had a chance to digest his information Adam asked, “So what do you want to do?” 

“We’re singing together, fuck them.” Kris said quickly, knowing what the decision could mean for him but willing to take the chance.  

“You realise this could ruin the show for both of us?” 

Kris nodded, “Yeah, but I’m willing to take the risk. It’s not like you’re at risk, everyone knows you are the most likely to win and I’ve got no problem with that.”  

“Hey, you are an amazing singer and the audience knows it, they'll keep you in.” Adam said honestly, he was slightly annoyed at Kris's tendency to doubt his own amazing talent.

Kris snorted, “They’ve made more incomprehensible decisions before. You shouldn’t be singing anyway.” 

Adam shrugged and then winced answering, “That’s up for the show doctor to decide. I’m sure with the right painkillers I’ll be fine and the schedule of the show means I’ve got no choice but to sing.” 

“We best get going, we may as well make the most of what could be the last rehearsal for one of us.” Kris said leading the way back to the stage.

*******

“How are you doing, Adam?” Kara asked noticing he was alone for the first time in three hours. 

Adam smiled, he honestly like Kara because she seemed to be the one most down to earth of all the judges and approachable. Kara seemed to really care about all of the contestants, the other judges might care, but it was never actually expressed. It was normal for Kara too talk to contestants after the filming ended. 

“I’m good. So when am I going to see the doc?” 

Kara smiled, “In around ten minutes, Simon’s talking to him at the moment. So what happened? Do you need to talk about it?” 

“A typical gay bashing, they caught me walking back from a club. I think they were just looking for anyone alone and I was unlucky to be there. It’ll take more than homophobic cowards to break me.” 

“That’s the spirit. Er...have you seen the Enquirer?” Kara said seriously.

Confused as to why it was important Adam shook his head, “No, I generally don’t read trash.” 

Kara gently said, “Well, before Simon breaks the news to you in his bull in a china shop style, there’s a two page spread about you and Kris. Their supposed source is an American Idol insider who has said that you and Kris are romantically involved and that’s why he had his arm around you at the hospital.” 

“What’s with everyone thinking Kris and I are fucking? We have a close friendship, no sex involved. Don’t these people have better things to do with their time than fantasise who’s fucking?” 

Kara’s eye twinkled with amusement before she warned, “On that note, Simon’s coming and I suggest you be quiet before he thinks you are going to revolt.” 

“Good to you walking, Adam. How are you?” Simon said expertly examining the man and seeing he was ready to scream at someone. 

“Wonderful (!),” Adam said sarcastically before continuing, “What’s the point of me seeing the doctor? Everyone at the network will have a coronary at the thought of having to end the show a week early.” 

“Well, yes. If you aren’t up to singing, we can do something else. Have one of those ridiculous clip shows or something. You need to see him,” Simon said indifferently as he led the way to the dressing rooms.

*******

“Hello Adam, how are you feeling?” 

“Like I’ve just been beaten up,” Adam answered the doctor with a wry smirk. 

“That makes sense. Are you experiencing any pain from your broken ribs?” The doctor said taking notes. 

“Only when I move and breathe,” Adam said honestly. 

“That’s fine. Are you still experiencing any; dizziness, queasiness or headaches?” 

“No. So can I sing?” 

The doctor nodded slowly, “Providing you take your painkillers on time and I recommend placing ice in your chest where the fracture is located. However you cannot go running around the stage. Fractured ribs take around six weeks to heal completely.” 

“Sure, doc. Can I go now?” Adam said seriously leaving as soon as the man nodded lest the man change his mind. 

“Hey Adam, so are you going to be doing the show?” Alison said anxiously. 

“Yeah. How’s your duet with Danny going?” 

Alison pulled a face saying, “Fine. He’s not exactly great at singing rock. Well, maybe he’d be okay with a really soft rock song. We’re doing okay though.” 

“You’ll be fine, honey. Even if he messes up you’ve got your song to make everyone realise how wonderful you are.” 

Alison smiled knowing she had made the right decision to wait for Adam to appear just so she could have a quick chat with him. He always made her feel better and she needed the reassurance because she was honestly worried about the duet. 

“Thanks, you always know how to make me feel better.” Alison said hugging the man quickly before going back to Danny. 

Adam strolled around looking for Kris, surprised the man wasn’t hanging around waiting for him. Since there was nothing he could do until Kris turned up, Adam sat down and took the chance for a bit of peace and quiet. 

“Hey, how did you get on with the doc?” 

Adam opened his eyes to see Kris gazing down at him with a nervous smile, he grinned back saying, “I’m good to go, of course. So are you ready to get back to work?”

“Yeah. If we’re going to go down, it may as well be in a ball of flames.” 

“It’s always hot when I go down, honey,” Adam purred. 

“I’m sure it is,” Kris said smirking as they approached the stage.

*******

“What do you mean, it doesn’t matter?” Katy asked her husband in confusion. 

Katy couldn’t understand why he wasn’t upset about the articles when she had never been more upset in her life. She had to face her friends and family when they were all talking about her, pity in their eyes. A part of her wondered if something had really happened, as people said there was no smoke without fire.

“What they are saying is crazy but it’s not like we can stop people from thinking things.” 

“Aren’t you embarrassed or disgusted?” Katy asked angrily. 

Kris said bemused, “No, why should I be embarrassed about what other people think and why would I be disgusted? It’s not like I’ve got a problem with homosexuality and Adam is a wonderful guy.” 

“Well, I want you to go on the radio and tell everyone that you are straight.” 

“Katy, there's no need for that and I don' t want to do it,” Kris said honestly. 

“Fine, I'll speak to you after the show tomorrow.” Katy said, unhappy that she couldn’t make it to the show to prove to everyone that her husband was not gay.

******

The next day Kris was pacing backstage, looking at Adam who was serenely standing against the wall. He was always amazed at how calm Adam could be when each time they could be kissing their dream goodbye. Now they had performed their solos it was time to do their duet and Kris honestly had no idea how people would take their performance since it was so different to what people would be expecting and it wasn’t a massively well known song. 

Kris had agreed to go with the clothes Adam had picked out and insisted would be just perfect. So now Kris was wearing tight black jeans adorned with spikes and a black shirt with red swirls on the sleeves. He was wearing black nail polish and eyeliner but had drawn the line at lipstick.  

“Hey, everything will be fine and you look amazing. We’re going to give them the performance of their lives,” Adam said with a smirk. 

“We’ll definitely shock them at least. How many times do you think Simon will be lost for words?” 

“Three?” Adam said thoughtfully. 

Kris shook his head, “I say two, winner has to buy lunch.” 

The pair shook hands on the bet before the signal came for their entrance. Kris gave a small smile as went first; he knew the rumours about them would only increase after this performance. Adam had earlier explained it was a good thing, if American Idol refused to give them publicity, the controversy over their performance would at least keep their names fresh in the audience’s mind. 

Kris and Adam were on opposite sides of the stage when the spotlight hit them, accompanied by the introduction.  

Prowling towards the other man Adam started singing,

 “I wanted you to know  
That I love the way you laugh  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain …away  
I keep your photograph  
And I know it serves me well  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain” 

An expression of despair on his face Adam reached out and grabbed Kris’s shoulder as if turning him to face him and Kris spun around on one heel coolly, their voices blended together like a smooth whiskey as they looked each other in the eyes singing,

“cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away”  
  
Adam shook his head as if giving up and walked away from Kris singing,

“You've gone away  
You don't feel me here....anymore”  
  
Walking parallel to Adam on the right side of the stage Kris started singing,

“The worst is over now  
And we can breathe again  
I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away”  

Now slowly walking across the stage towards Kris Adam sang,  

“There's so much left to learn  
And no one left to fight  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain”  
  
On the other side of the stage Kris turned to walk towards Adam singing,

“‘cause I'm broken when I'm open  
And I don't feel like I am strong enough  
cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away”  
  
During the instrumental, the pair walked to the very centre of the stage, with Adam facing the audience and Kris’s body angled slightly to the right so he could be seen by the cameras. Suddenly Kris fell to his knees in front of Adam as the older man looked at him singing,

“cause I'm broken when I'm open  
And I don't feel like I am strong enough  
cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away”  
  
Reaching up to Adam as if begging him to stay Kris sang,

“cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away” 

Shaking his head Adam sang,

“You're gone away  
You don't feel me here....anymore” 

As the music ended, there was a stunned silence followed by applause, cheers and whistles. Kris stood up as the applause began, relieved that they hadn’t been booed off stage. He raised an eyebrow at Adam at the amazingly positive reaction, he had expected jeers, not whistles. He just knew Adam was going to be all smug about it later.

 “Yo, Yo,” Randy said trying to talk over the noise before holding one hand up for silence before continuing, “Yo, that was dope for me. A little too theatrical for me but it worked. You could record that now and have a hit record with it.”

Kara smiled saying, “I loved it, you took a risk with the performance by making it more like one might see on Broadway but I have to disagree with Randy, it worked and made you stand out. You both deserve to be here next week based on that performance. The song may not have been heavy rock but you two can rock with the best of them.”

“Amazing. It doesn’t matter that the song isn’t well known or that it isn’t a heavy rock song, you connected emotionally with the song and the audience. Breathtakingly beautiful,” Paula said, wiping a tear from her eye.

Simon shrugged saying, “Well, what can I say? A very theatrical performance that I don’t think anyone’s going to forget. I thought your vocals were excellent. You proved that there is no need to go jumping around the stage to have a incredible performance. I'm going to predict that you will both be in the top three. Kris, for the first time I feel that that you actually have a chance to win this. You should thank Adam because he’s caused you to up your game and it’s paid off big time.”

Ryan walked out and shook both their hands saying, “Great feedback from all four of the judges, do you want to respond to that, Kris?”

 “It’s amazing. We had a great time doing the song. We hope America liked the performance as well.”

Ryan smiled at the camera saying, “Here’s another look at all the performances and the numbers to phone.”

Once the montage ended Ryan closed the show saying, “That’s all folks but remember to tune in for the results.”

As the cameras switched off, the room fell into a strange silence as Kris and Adam made their way down the stage. Adam was gritting his teeth in pain, despite what he had told everyone it had been painful to sing yesterday but he had assumed that that an extra night’s sleep would make it better. It hadn’t but the painkillers had helped and at least his pain helped him put emotion into the song.

“See, I told you not to worry,” Adam said smugly, he loved being right.

 “So you did. I feel sick though, the press are going to crucify us.”

“Who cares? They’ve been running polls on my sexuality since I got in the top ten. At least it gets us plenty of exposure and we need it.”

Kris nodded in understanding smiling at Kara walked over, obviously ready to bolster their spirits or give advice as she always did.

“That was a very bold performance and will probably split the votes. You know this isn’t going to help with the rumours and could be dangerous for you. The last thing I want is for another gay bashing and being high profile will just make you a bigger target.”

Adam nodded, “We had always intended to perform the song like that and why should we let some idiots control our actions. If we do, they win and I refuse to let them.”

“How’s your wife taking the rumours, Kris? Do you want me to talk to her and explain about media hype? I don’t mind.”

“It’s okay, we’ve already talked about it. I'll give her a call later and warn her about the next barrage of press.”

“Well done again boys,” Kara said as she walked away.

“Feel like getting out of here?” Kris asked, starting to feel like the room was getting smaller. He could feel everyone looking at him, judging him and trying to make him fit into a perfect little box.

“Yeah, dressing room or mansion?”

“As much as I hate to say it the dressing room in case someone wants us for an interview or something,“ Kris said with a sigh, wanting nothing more than to have some peace and quiet.

*******

Within seconds of walking into the dressing room, Adam had swallowed two painkillers and was lying on the sofa allowing his pain to show now he was away from the cameras. At least he had managed to get through the performance without anything happening, for a moment he had believed he was about to faint.

Switching on his phone Kris frowned at the five missed calls from Katy and two from his brother. He already knew what they were calling him about and he wasn’t in the mood for a lecture. If he didn’t have a problem with his performance with Adam what was wrong?

Kris looked over at Adam who was now snoring and thought how beautiful the man was. After every performance Adam seemed to be at peace, as if everything made sense for a while. He was pulled out of Adam watching by Alison bouncing into the room. Putting one hand to his lips, he gestured to Adam.

Alison looked at Kris and wondered how he could be so oblivious to his real feelings for Adam. She saw them in his eyes whenever he looked at Adam, he looked at Adam as if the man was the sun and moon to him. She knew Kris was married, his wife seemed like a wonderful person but she loved Adam and Kris like they were her brothers. She couldn’t stand the thought of them having to go through the pain of separation or going through their lives unconsciously mourning each other.

“You do know that you love Adam, right?”

Kris looked at her in shock, confused at the sudden strange topic. He couldn’t think why she was asking that, of course he loved Adam. The man was his best friend, the best friend he had ever had. He couldn’t imagine ever being this close with any of the other people he knew.

“Of course, he’s my best friend.”

Alison shook her head saying gently, “Kris, you are in love with him and you will lose him unless you do something about it.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, I'm not gay.” Kris said in disbelief.

“You don’t have to be gay, Kris. He’s just your soul mate. Just sit back and close your eyes.”

Looking at the serious expression on her face, Kris did as she asked because she wouldn’t give up otherwise. Despite her appearance, Alison could be relentless when she wanted something or thought she was right.

Lowering her voice Alison said, “Now think about how you would feel without seeing Katy ever again. Next think of how it would be never to see or talk with Adam ever again. Which one hurts you more? Who do you feel you don’t just want but need . I know I'm being harsh but I don’t want to see you both broken and alone.”

Kris closed his eyes and thought of Katy; her smile, her skin, her laugh, dancing with her, making love and just spending time with her then he thought about not experiencing those things again and his heart clenched.

Next Kris thought of Adam; his beautiful laugh, dark jokes, singing with him, dancing together in the haze of a club, the scent of his aftershave and shampoo. He thought of the joy and rightness that burned through him when he woke up with Adam. He thought about losing Adam and never experiencing any of them again and he felt like his heart had been torn apart. He could survive without Katy but he couldn’t live without Adam but did that mean he was attracted to Adam?

Kris thought about kissing Adam’s neck, of making those beautiful eyes darken with passion like they did when the man was singing. He thought about how it would feel to have Adam’s body against his own. He wanted to experience them all, Alison was right he was in love with Adam now the question was should he do anything about it and risk losing Adam’s friendship? 

Opening his eyes Kris whispered embarrassed, “I never realised, how could I miss it? I can't do anything about it. Adam is too important to me to risk losing his friendship if he doesn’t feel the same.” 

Knowing she was betraying a confidence but reassuring herself that it was for the best reasons Alison admitted, “Adam loves you, I see it whenever he looks at you. You have to make the first move, as far as he knows you would never be attracted to him.” 

“I need to talk to him then and see if there is a chance for us.” 

“You can do it tonight, I'm going out with my family, and I think Danny is as well.” 

Kris nodded and placed a quick kiss on the girl’s cheek in thanks before she walked out of the room. He was continually amazed at how someone so young could be so insightful. He was also confused as to how he was going to approach Adam. He couldn’t set up some big seduction scene because that would give the wrong impression. Walking over to Adam, he looked down at the man and wondered how he could have missed how Adam made him feel alive again.  

Bending down Kris whispered in the man’s ear, “Adam, it’s time to go home. Come on, we need to talk about some stuff.” 

Adam opened his eyes at the strange tone on his friend’s voice he asked hurriedly, “Are you okay? Did someone upset you? Do you need me to go lecture some bitch until they cry?” 

“I'm okay but I need to talk to you alone. Are you ready to go?” 

“Sure, but we’ll have to take it slow, honey.” 

“Anything you want,” Kris said honestly.

Kris led the way out of the corridor, frowning when he saw the crowd of people in the corridor. Walking on Adam’s right side, he gave the people no choice but to move out of the way. As soon as they stepped outside the stage, Kris was deafened by the sound of people yelling positive and negative things. The mob moved closer, hands appeared as if from nowhere trying to get within touching distance. Kris walked slightly in front, making a path for Adam to take that hopefully wouldn’t hurt him. Kris heard someone yelling and the next thing he knew, he was on the floor with his head bleeding.

Fighting his way through the suddenly tighter mob, Adam’s heart stopped at the sight of Kris lying on the floor with some tall, stocky man standing over him.

“Get the fuck away from him!” Adam snarled, pulling himself up to his full height.

Adam might be injured but there was no way this man was going to hurt Kris again. A crazy thought went through his mind that he and Kris would have matching lacerations on their heads.

“This fag is only getting what he deserves, he’s a pervert just like you. The people who attacked you should have done it properly and killed you.”

Eyes blazing Adam said lowly, “Get away him from now before I make you cry like the pathetic, weak, bitch you really are.”

The man moved back, shocked at the angry looks from the people around him. He had been sure he would be able to take them both down but something in the violence and hatred in the black haired man’s voice told him that it wouldn’t be that easy.

Adam smiled widely at Kris as the man stood up, one hand moving the blood now trickling down his face. He had anticipated their duet would get some bad reactions but he hadn’t anticipated violence. Adam was surprised there was no security as normal and contemplated that it was a decision made by the lawyers who wanted him and Kris out of the show. Adam had noticed the cameras recording them since they left the building but had ignored them since there always seemed to be cameras around.

“You okay, Kris?”

Kris nodded as they turned to carry on walking towards the car, the crowd now parting for them. He was pleased to hear people yelling their names and cheering, now there were no derogatory slurs being hurled their way. At the car, Kris got in the back, grinning when Adam sat beside him and lightly squeezed his knee. He just hoped Adam would still be willing to talk when they arrived home because he didn’t know how long his courage would last or when the others would be back.

Part 4

Adam watched confused and worried as Kris paced up and down the room before looking at him. It was now clear that whatever had Kris in knots was about him since they talked about everything, the only thing that could be worrying Kris was that he had somehow found out just how deep Adam’s feelings were. Adam knew he had to find some way of reassuring the man that he would not do anything inappropriate and knew Kris was happily married. He wanted Kris in his life regardless of the pain in his heart as he looked at Kris knowing the man could never return his feelings.

“Adam, you are my best friend and nothing will ever change that.”

Adam nodded replying, “I know and you are mine.”

Kris smiled nervously before he moved so that he was sitting on the table in front of Adam, looking in those stunning enchanting eyes. He wanted to make sure Adam didn’t try to lie to him. Although they never lied to each other, he knew Adam would lie to him without any hesitation if he thought it would make Kris happy.

“I was talking to Alison earlier and she hit me with a metaphorical 2 by 4, she told me to think about how it would feel for Katy not to be in my life and my heart clenched...”

Feeling his heart break a little more Adam said lightly, “Well obviously, she is your wife. Why are you telling me that instead of her? Do you need me to disappear for a while so you can talk for a while?”

Placing one hand on Adam’s knee and ignoring the surprised look Kris shook his head saying, “No, I need to say this now before I lose my nerve. Alison also told me to think what my life without you and my heart was torn to shreds. I want Katy but I don’t need her to be happy. You are the one I want and need. I love you.”

“You’re only saying that because she’s not here,” Adam said sadly.

Adam was breaking into thousand pieces at the declaration because it was everything he had dreamt of but Kris didn’t mean it. It was motivated by loneliness and pain, not by love.

“No, I'm not. Do you honestly think I would even be talking to you about this if I wasn’t serious? I love you, Adam.”

How he had wished it could happen but it was impossible, Adam said softly, “Kris, you are not gay."  
  
Kris explained, “It’s not about being gay or straight, Adam. It’s about finding the one who makes you complete and you make me feel complete.”

“No. This is not going to happen, Kris,” Adam said standing up to leave the room.

Kris’s hand moved of its own volition, grabbing Adam’s arm before the man could take a step. He was not going to let it end like that; he needed to know if Adam felt anything for him, if so, he was not going to let Adam run away from what they could be.

“Kris, let me go.” Adam said his voice remaining level despite the intense panic he was feeling. He had to leave now before his resolve broke and he gave in to his urges.

“Not until you let me know if you feel anything for me. If not, I'll never mention it again but if so, we can work through any problems together. Please, Adam.”

Adam shook his head saying heatedly, “We can’t be together, you are married and I will not be kept a secret. I won’t let you destroy me, Kris. I am proud of who I am and I will not be forced into denying that.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to do that.”

Adam ignored Kris's interruption saying passionately, “I need to know that you are not going to regret this later because I don’t want to be the one that ruins your life. Just think this over, you are married, Kris. You need to make sure this is not just a passing crush, plenty of straight people have experienced a same sex crush.”

“I'm not giving you up, Adam Lambert. I told you that I love you and I mean it. I'm not going to stop loving you.”

Adam nodded, sure that Kris was just caught up in feelings that would soon pass. He would not risk everything he was for a relationship that could only exist behind closed doors. He was sorry for the pain he was putting Kris through but it was for a good cause, he couldn’t let them both be torn to pieces.

Looking at the other man, Kris knew that Adam did not believe he was serious about waiting for Adam but he would. Adam was his, he had always been, but Kris had not realised in what way. The only solution Kris could come up with was to calmly explain to Katy although he would always love her Adam was the one he wanted to be with. His only hope was that she would agree to a separation if not an immediate divorce.

“Now, I'm going to bed to try and make some sense of this. I'll see you tomorrow,” Adam said honestly knowing he had done the right thing. He didn’t want Kris to end up resenting him.

*******

Kris was lying awake staring at the ceiling and trying to convince himself that Adam would wake up tomorrow and want to be with him. It was two a.m. but he hadn’t slept as he thought about Adam. He had risked so much in telling Adam his feelings and knew Adam cared for him since the man hadn’t denied loving him only that could be together. Somehow, Adam would be his, even if he had to tie the man to his bed until he saw reason.

Kris had always found Adam beautiful, once he had watched a drop of sweat dripping down Adam’s neck in fascination. At the time, he had told himself that it was just because it had smudged Adam’s eyeliner. His body had always felt energised when Adam touched him but he had put it down to Adam’s aura of excitement, energy and charisma.

Katy was weighing heavy on his mind because she had been the one he loved for so long. She deserved an honest explanation but he didn’t know how he was going to tell her. He had been happy with her until the day he had met Adam. Since they had started living at the mansion and finally able to spend real time together, his thoughts had not been Katy but of Adam. Adam was the one he turned to when he was upset, nervous or in need of comfort instead of Katy. Kris knew he should have realised at this point that Adam was more than a friend, even a best friend. He had even started picking his clothes depending on what Adam had would like, watching to see Adam’s reaction, banishing anything Adam didn’t like to the back of his closet.

Finally deciding he wasn’t going to get to sleep, Kris got out of bed and grabbed his robe from the back of the bedroom door. Putting it on, Kris grabbed his trusty notebook and headed up and out to the pool. Sitting on one of the many sun loungers, Kris looked up at the beautiful, bright moon and started writing. He had to get his feelings out now when it was quiet and he could think.

| 

**_Dear Katy,_**  
  
---|---  
  
| 

**_I’m sitting in front of the pool and trying to find the words to explain why I am doing this to you. Why I am in love with someone else but I can’t find the words but then, how can you explain why two people fall in love?_**  
  
| 

**_I’ve met someone and I need to be with them. I'm sorry but it wouldn’t be right for us to stay married._**  
  
| 

**_I want a divorce, Katy._**  
  
| 

**_I'm sure you are wondering why I said someone and the reason is I've fallen in love with Adam. I realise you must be reeling at the thought that I’ve fallen in love with another man. Please don’t think I've been using you to hide my sexuality, I’ve never been attracted to any man but Adam._**  
  
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**_I met him and he became the one person in my life I can’t without the one who makes my heart sing._**  
  
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**_I love him and that will never change, Adam is the one for me and I can’t pretend he isn’t. I did love you it’s just that what I feel for Adam is so much more, e makes me feel whole._**  
  
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**_I have never been unfaithful to you. I have not acted on my love for Adam because you deserve to know our relationship is over first._**  
  
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**_I am so sorry for causing you pain, Katy. You can have the house I will not ask for anything. I can at least spare you a messy battle for possessions._**  
  
|   
  
| 

  ** _Kris._**  
  
 

   
  
---  
  
 

Looking over the letter Kris was satisfied it was as delicately worded as possible whilst making it clear to Katy why and there was no chance of him suddenly deciding he wanted her not Adam. He didn’t want her to be clinging to false hope, he wanted her to find someone who made her feel how Adam made him feel. Kris knew she would probably never forgive him but he didn’t want to be without Adam. He would post the letter tomorrow by Fed-Ex along with his wedding ring and give her a call two days later to explain everything. As much as he knew it should be done in person, he wanted to let her know as quickly as possible to give her the chance to get herself together for when he did go home. If he survived this week, he would be coming home for the hometown parade Idol insisted on.

He looked up at the sound of someone sliding open the patio doors and saw it was Adam. The man looked beautiful, the moonlight only serving to heighten his beauty, amazing grace, and breathtaking eyes.

“Sorry, I didn’t think anyone was here. I'll go,” Adam said quickly on seeing Kris.

He had come out to think about Kris, it was just his luck that the man was there. He had never seen Kris look so dazzling, how he wanted to go up to kiss those lips Kris was anxiously biting.

“Please don’t go,” Kris said, his voice breaking as watched Adam turn back.

“I can’t stay here, Kris,” Adam said softly.

“Please stay, Adam. I won’t even try to kiss you.”

Letting out a sad sigh Adam said honestly, “Maybe not, but I will and I refuse to take advantage of your confusion.”

Desperate to make Adam believe him Kris said fervently, “I'm not confused, I love you. I want to spend every day waking up next to you, I want to cover you in kisses and make you scream my name. I want to laugh with you, dance with you. I want to just spend time with you, I want to share everything with you.”

Adam didn’t know how he reached Kris so quickly, the only thing he knew he was sitting next to Kris and could feel the man’s breath on his face. He didn’t know who moved first but their lips met in a passionate kiss, he could feel Kris’ tongue entering his mouth and duelling with his own. Adam had no idea how long they kissed, he only knew they were both panting when they separated.

“Shit, that was a mistake. I can’t do this Kris,” Adam said once he could speak.

Although they had only just parted he already missed the feel of Kris’s soft lips against his. For a moment everything had been perfect, he had Kris in his arms and the world faded away but he was brought crashing to reality when they parted and he was free of the Kris induced daze. He kept his eyes above Kris’s mouth knowing if he saw those now slightly swollen lips, again he would be helpless to resist them.

“Adam, I'm not going to walk away from this. Is it that unbelievable that I fell for you so quickly?”

Adam bit his lip saying passionately, “It has nothing to do with how long we have known each other; it’s to do with the fact that you are straight and married. How do I know that you won’t freak out as the realities of having a relationship with another man hits home, Kris? Can you honestly see yourself having sex with me? Sucking my cock, taking it inside you or me sucking your cock and you inside me, because that’s the reality of what our sex life could be.”

Kris said softly, “All I know is when I think of you doing those things to me or me doing them to you, I’ve never felt more excited or turned on in my life. I'll be honest, the thought of doing it with anyone but you freaks me out, but with you it feels right.”

Needing to prove to Adam that the man really did excite him, Kris grabbed Adam’s hand and pulled it down to his crotch. He delighted in the surprised gasp and moan Adam let out, as if amazed at what he had found. Kris shivered at the feeling of Adam’s hands caressing him through the thin fabric of his shorts. He let go of Adam’s hand knowing it would quickly end up going further than Adam wanted. He would respect Adam’s wishes even if he was going to end up full of pent up sexual frustration. Now that he was aware of his lust for Adam, his body seemed to vibrate with desire when the man was nearby. All he could think about was feeling the man’s body flush against his own.

“You are the only one I want, Adam. I’ve already decided to ask Katy for a divorce. It’s not right for us to stay married when I don’t love her. Even if you decide that you don’t want to be in a relationship with me, I will still love you.”

“Do you really mean that, Kris? Are you that sure of your feelings?” Adam asked in amazement.

Kris nodded, “I wouldn’t be doing this if I wasn’t sure. Look, I understand why you don’t want to get involved with me while I'm married but I don’t think I can wait until I get divorced to have you in my arms.”

“Kris, how do I know you really will tell her about us? I’ve been burned before by a lover who promised to do the same thing and didn’t. Kris, he almost broke me and I didn’t love him nearly half as much as I love you. You **will** break me if you don’t follow through on this.”

Kris couldn’t stop the surge of jealousy in his veins at the thought of Adam being with another, he knew that Adam had previous lovers and he had no right to be jealous of them but he was. The thought of someone else feeling Adam undulating above them and kissing his skin hurt but he consoled himself that soon he would be the only one to experience them for the rest of their lives. He was angry that Adam didn’t trust him to keep his word but that was cooled by the knowledge that Adam was only trying to protect himself. He understood Adam’s desperation if his feelings were as intense as his own for the raven haired beauty.

“I'm serious, Adam. I’ve already written to her explaining everything, I wanted to tell her right away and you can come with me to post it tomorrow,” Kris said quickly showing the letter to his love.

Adam took the piece of paper realising just how serious Kris was, his heart soaring at the realisation that Kris truly wanted to be with him. He was amazed at how eloquently Kris described his feelings, he had never realised just how deep Kris’s feelings were nor how willing he would be to put them into words

“You can sleep in my bed but that’s it, Kris. We won’t be doing anything else until you speak to her and make sure she understands.”

“Okay,” Kris said happily, pleased that he had at least got this much. He would at least be able to feel Adam’s body next to his and wake up next to him.

“You do know she might go to the press, baby? Are you ready for the fallout?” Adam said softly, taking his love’s hand in his.

“They already think we’re together anyway, how much worse can it get?”

Adam said bitterly, “A lot worse for now it’s only rumours, Kris. Once they find out it’s true we won’t get a break, every single interview we will be asked about it, people will make snide comments. There will be outrage and scorn from some and some people will refuse to have anything to do with you. They will try to make what we have sound sordid and seedy.”

“I guess I should tell my family about us first.” Kris said, upset that Adam had faced such horrible reactions before, he could tell Adam was speaking from experience.

“I’d suggest it, yeah.” Adam said sarcastically before continuing, “How do you think they’ll be with it?”

“Okay, they love me and only want me to be happy besides they know some gay couples from some company picnic.”

“Well, you know them best. Let’s go to bed, baby.” Adam said leading the way back indoors and hoping he wouldn’t end up regretting his decision.

The pair held hands as they walked through the house to Adam’s bedroom, once there Kris regretfully let go of Adam’s hand to put his robe on the back of Adam’s door. Walking back to the bed he was amazed to see Adam lying there, holding the covers up waiting for him to get in bed. Getting into bed Kris waited for Adam to get comfortable aware of the man’s probably still aching ribs.

Adam lay down on his back now that it was feeling slightly better and put his left arm around Kris. As Kris moved closer, head dropping onto his right shoulder, Adam was overtaken by the rightness of the moment and how smoothly Kris moulded to his body. Adam had no idea what the morning would bring but he was overjoyed that he would be one step closer to having the relationship with Kris he so desperately needed.

Part 5

Adam woke up and looked over at the man next to him who had one leg possessively over his. He still couldn’t believe it was true, that Kris was so sure of his feelings and longevity of their relationship that he was getting divorced. Although he had dreamed about it, Adam had always dismissed it as a crazy fantasy and now it was happening he felt a little scared. He had no idea just what kind of fallout they could be facing, he knew there was going to be scorn and those who accused him of seducing Kris when nothing could be further from the truth. Kris had come after him with a passion and determination that he was powerless to resist.

Looking at the alarm clock, Adam was surprised it was about to go off since he was normally up at least thirty minutes before he was supposed to be unless he was ill.

Stoking the hair from his lover’s face Adam gently said, “It’s time to wake up now, baby. I'll even make you breakfast.”

‘Adorable,’ Adam thought as he watched Kris’s nose scrunch up as he frowned, apparently not ready to wake up but then Kris was always the last one to wake up out of all the contestants.

Kris pouted saying, “Can’t we just stay in bed a little longer? I want to feel you next to me and once we’re out there we can’t even hold hands.”

With a regretful sigh Adam answered, “Nope, we’ve got some shopping to do, two joint interviews, a couple of photo shoots and rehearsals.”

Kris groaned in acceptance and opened his eyes, smiling when he saw Adam staring down at him. Arching up slightly, he kissed Adam’s lips lightly since he wasn’t sure if he was allowed a good morning kiss.

“Good morning, Sweetie. You are a beautiful sight to wake up to,” Kris said honestly, delighting in the blush across Adam’s cheeks.

“So are you, baby.” Adam said seriously before he got out of bed, smiling when Kris followed him.

Showing more restraint than he had thought possible, Kris ignored the evidence of mutual arousal. Adam had said they couldn’t do more than sleep together and Kris knew he meant it; even kisses were technically breaking the rules.

“What’s wrong?” Adam asked seeing Kris anxiously biting his lips.

Kris blushed, “I just realised how much it’s going to hurt not being able to kiss you. I swear your lips are addictive.”

Adam said reassuringly, “You can kiss me every morning and night. Once we get everything sorted, I'm going to spend several hours a day kissing you. I’ve spent months dreaming of having you in my arms. Now we better get dressed before someone comes looking for us. Do you want the bathroom first, honey?”

“You can. I'll meet you upstairs, love you.” Kris said once they were out of bed.

“Love you too, baby.” Adam said, stopping Kris from stepping away from him by holding the man’s hand.

Once Kris was standing next to him, Adam lips descended on the smaller man’s. He wanted to feel Kris’s lips just one more time before they had to face the world.

*******

Dressed in his black jeans, red shirt and black boots with red patterns on Adam walked upstairs feeling as if he was going to explode with happiness. He was so amazed beautiful, gentle, devastatingly attractive Kris was actually his. Stepping into the kitchen, he was surprised at the glare Danny was giving him. He had no idea what he had done to upset the man this time, but he was too happy to let it bother him. It seemed the man was permanently in a mood whenever he was around but Adam put up with it since they wouldn’t have to associate with each other once the show was over.

Walking over to the cupboards Adam started taking out the ingredients for breakfast, looking at Danny he realised it would only be polite to ask the man if he wanted any.

“I'm making pancakes. Do you want any?” Adam asked with a polite smile.

“No,” Danny answered shortly, picking up the paper he had been reading and walking back into the lounge.

Adam shrugged off the reaction and continued his task. As he was putting the mixture into the pan, Adam realised he may have made too much considering Allison wouldn’t eat anything but cereal and he normally had a poppy seed bagel on results day. He had just finished slicing the bananas and strawberries when he heard Kris’s familiar footfalls nearing. Placing everything on the table, Adam smiled in greeting before pouring out a glass of orange juice and another of grape juice.

“This looks amazing, thank you. Are you going to have any?” Kris said as he placed an envelope on the table, took a seat, and stared at the mound of food.

“No, I just wanted you to have plenty to eat. I'm having a bagel,” Adam said with a shrug as he walked back to the counter.

“Please,” Kris said looking over at Adam.

Seeing the look in Kris’s eyes, the one he was powerless to resist Adam gave in and grabbed a plate. He placed one on his plate along with some strawberries; he couldn’t eat anymore since he was nervous the reception they were going to get once they walked out of their sheltered bubble. The rumours coupled with their performance would mean most people would think they were having a tempestuous affair, which technically wasn’t true since they hadn’t really acted on their feelings.

Finishing his food Kris said, “I'll clean up. Go and relax.”

Seeing Kris wasn’t going to change his mind, Adam stood thinking again how amazing Kris looked in simple distressed black jeans and a blue and turquoise shirt but then he was biased. He loved most things Kris wore, apart from a neon green t-shirt that Kris had bought while shopping with Matt. Adam could remember saying something about how the colour did nothing for Kris and the designer should be shot for crimes against mankind. Kris had simply grinned and made a remark about how he shouldn’t be allowed to shop with Matt then since he had picked it out.

“So any plans today? I'm going to hang out with my family.” Alison asked with an infectious grin.

“Shopping, eating, interviews, photo shoot, sound check, just the normal stuff.” Adam said smiling at the girl who was a bundle of energy; she always was on result days.

“Ready? I thought we could take a cab and walk around.” Kris said as he walked into the lounge, sunglasses and envelope in hand.

“Sure, honey. I'll see you later, baby girl,” Adam said smiling at his friend and knowing he would have to find some time to thank her for convincing Kris talk to him.

Kris walked out the house first, smiling slightly at Adam’s hand at the small of his back.

“Let’s get this posted first and then we can relax,” Kris said quickly, wanting to get it out of the way so he could spend the rest of the day focusing on Adam.

“Great. You might want to put some sunglasses on, honey.” Adam said quickly, as he put on his own.

There was a good chance that they would be recognised but it would be nice to spend the day alone regardless. They didn’t get a chance to spend much time shopping together without someone else around, if not one of the other contestants; it was one of their minders. Adam was looking forward to having Kris all to himself for the day, even if he was terrified of the results show and the possibility of one of them leaving. He couldn’t bear the thought of parting with Kris now he knew they had the promise of forever.

*******

Adam watched as Kris handed over the envelope, relieved that the other man hadn’t minded him tagging along. He had wanted to be here not only wanted to make sure Kris told his wife but to see the momentous occasion that marked a new chapter in their lives that they would write together.

“Now where does our intrepid shopping expedition start?” Kris said with a grin.

“I was thinking clothes, shoes, break for lunch then accessories.” Adam announced calmly.

Kris looked at Adam, seeing the serious look on his face; it was both terrifying and adorable. Terrifying because it seemed he would be shopping for the next three hours before they had interviews at the mansion, adorable because Adam looked so excited.

“We better get started then,” Kris said lightly as they flagged down a cab.

As Adam gave their destination, Kris took the chance to study Adam, noticing how it seemed a weight had been lifted from Adam’s shoulders. Kris was certain it was to do with the feelings Adam had apparently been keeping under wraps for so long. Now he could see it, Kris was astounded that he had failed to notice just how Adam was feeling.

*******

At their destination, Adam smiled at the hustle of shoppers around him. He loved the shopping experience in LA, nowhere else seemed to be within the same bracket.

Adam smirked saying teasingly, “Are you ready for the shopping trip of a lifetime? You truly have not experience shopping until you have been with me.”

Kris nodded and steeled himself for what was to come; he knew it was going to be like nothing he had experienced before. He grinned at Adam as the man walked at his side, eyes glowing.

Kris was staring at the clothes Adam had picked out for him in amazement. Adam had headed straight for this section, saying he knew what Kris just had to buy. All the t-shirts were black with white or red writing, reading them he laughed.

‘Keep staring I might do a trick’

‘Simon says terrible things about you’

 ‘Criticism is not nearly as effective as sabotage’

‘Elvis is dead, Mozart is dead, Einstein is dead, and I'm not feeling so great myself.’

‘Bomb Squad…if you see me running try to keep up’

‘Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.’

‘Don't feel sad...don't feel blue...Frankenstein was ugly too...’

‘You have the right to remain silent; anything you do say will be taken out of context and used against you!’

‘Support local music....Sleep with a musician’

“I love this one but I think the cat would definitely out of the bag if I bought it,” Adam said holding up a red t-shirt that said in black writing, ‘I'm hotter than your girlfriend, call me!’

“Well yeah, but you should order it online if you like it that much.” Kris said with a smile.

Kris knew if Adam wore that t-shirt he would be tearing limbs off the people hitting on his boyfriend...if Adam was his boyfriend. They hadn’t really discussed how they were going to refer to each other. As far as he was concerned, all anyone needed to know was that Adam was his.

Adam carefully examined the clothes Kris had chosen before saying, “Now, how do you feel about black distressed jeans or indigo? There’s also a pair of leather pants that would look amazing on you and you can pull off the leather look.”

“Have we got time for me to try them on?” Kris asked knowing they had already spent 45 minutes in the store.

“Not really, but I suppose you can return them. Shame,” Adam said with a smirk knowing Kris would understand he meant it was a shame not to see Kris modelling the clothes for him.

Walking to the register, Kris placed everything on the counter and was about to pay when Adam walked up brandishing a glittering purple liquid eyeliner.

“What do you think of this?” Adam asked thoughtfully.

“Bright but I think you’d be okay with it,” Kris answered before saying to the checkout girl, “This as well, please.”

“Hey, I can buy it, Kris.” Adam said slightly annoyed he was perfectly capable of buying his own makeup and he hadn’t meant for Kris to buy it.

“I'm already here so I may as well. You can get lunch,” Kris said softly, seeing Adam was upset.

Two and a half hours later, Kris looked at his watch and realised they didn’t have long before the interviews started. At least they had already eaten at some small diner Adam had found. There was no way they would have a chance to get changed before the interviews but Kris reasoned to himself that the interviews were supposed to about getting to know the real contestants.

“Adam, we need to go.” Kris said insistantly.

“Okay, let me just get these,” Adam said holding up a pair of dangly skull earrings.

********

Rushing into his bedroom, Adam put all the shopping bags in his closet, he and Kris would sort them out later. They only had five minutes before the first interview and it looked bad to be late. He grinned at Kris as the man passed over a comb.

Kris offered, “In case you need to fix it, but I like the slightly messy look.”

“Thanks, honey. We better get up to the lounge,” Adam said with a sincere smile as he put the comb down without a second thought.

“So who are we having interviews with?” Kris asked the older man knowing he would have all the answers. He trusted Adam to keep track of things like interviews since Kris tended to switch off when they got the press itinerary.

Without thinking Adam reeled off, “Melissa Johns, from some website. A journalist for local cable station called Martin James. Want to bet what they’ll be asking about?”

Kris shook his head, “I think that’s a sucker bet.”

As they walked up the stairs, Adam walked slightly in front of Kris, in the hope he could stop Kris from being upset by any glares. Opening the lounge door, Adam allowed Kris to walk through first. Seeing the camera aimed at a sofa, Kris took the right seat, leaving Adam to take the other one.

The reporter walked in, it was obvious from the little bounce in her walk and her large smile that she was one of those perky interviewers that Adam found grating on his nerves.

“Hey, my name is Melissa Johns. I'm just going to ask you a few questions each and then I’ve got some questions the people on our website’s notice board posted. I'll ask you two each. Is that okay?”

Adam nodded warily, the questions were normally vetted, but since the producers were determined to make sure they both left the competition, it was possible they hadn’t been. He was used to coming up with quick answers but he didn’t want her to ask something that Kris could find upsetting.

Switching on the camera, Melissa took a seat in front of the pair, notebook in her hand with the questions written on. She had decided it would be a good idea since she was nervous about meeting two of her favourite contestants.  
  
Looking at her notebook Melissa read, “What do you think are your chances of making it to the final show?”

Adam smiled politely, “I think with the right song choices all four of us have a chance of winning.”

“Yeah, the trick is not to worry about where you might place. You have to focus entirely on the music,” Kris said honestly since Adam had said those words to him prior to the top ten show, he had found his performances more emotional and in his opinion better than before.

“That makes sense, now who are you closest to out of the top ten contestants?”

Kris answered the girl's question with a grin, “Adam and Allison.”

At the same time Adam answered, “Kris and Allison.”

“Out of the judges, which one would you hang out with after the contest is over and why?”

“Melissa, you can’t ask us that!” Adam said laughing as he imagined how each judge would respond if they weren’t picked.

“Okay, Leann asks, if you could pick four words to describe yourself what would they be?”

“Bold, determined, temperamental, and alternative.” Adam said quickly.

Kris considered the question saying, “Complicated, patient, joyous, and stubborn.”

Melissa nodded, “Great, now four words to describe each other. Just say the first ones that come to mind.”

Knowing he couldn’t call Adam beautiful in the open yet Kris answered, “Feisty, thoughtful, intriguing, and compassionate.”

“Decisive, protective, passionate, and mischievous.” Adam said glancing quickly at Kris.

“Right, now Nadine asks if you were a colour what would it be?” Melissa asked with a wide grin.

“Red,” Adam answered confused as to why someone would ask such a weird question.

Kris grinned, “Blue.”

”Rob asks, if you could only save one possession from a burning building what would it be?”

“My black and red boots,” Adam said knowing it would no surprise to anyone who knew him.

“My guitar.”

“Thank you for answering our questions,” Melissa said as she switched off the camera.

The pair waited for her to leave before smiling at each other, relieved that they had avoided any difficult questions. It occurred to Kris that it could all be part of a ploy from show to lure them into a false sense of security.

Walking into the room and taking a seat a tall, wiry man said, “Hello, Mr Lambert, Mr Allen. My name is Martin James, I'm going to be recording the interview. Your duet last night has been categorised as inappropriate by some audience members, how do you feel about that?”

Adam shrugged, “We performed a duet as per the rules of the show, and we have rehearsed it in front of a number of people. No one ever said the song or the performance was inappropriate.”

Seeing an opening to get to one of the most important parts of his article the reporter asked, “Kris, you were attacked last night following your risqué performance. Do you think it was a mistake do to the song?”

Kris shook his head saying sincerely, “No, I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I am proud of it and it’s the performance I enjoyed the most.”

A malicious smile on his face Martin James asked, “What do you say to the remarks that your duet had a homosexual subtext?”

Kris said honestly, “There wasn’t any subtext. It wasn’t just aimed at same sex couples, it’s a song that everyone can relate to regardless of their sexuality.”

Adam shrugged saying, “The song was about a couple who are on the verge of breaking up. It made sense for us to each take the role of one half of the couple and it was fun to do a more theatrical performance.”

Once Adam has finished speaking the reporter nodded asking, “What do you feel the story is behind the song and its message?”

Adam answered quickly, “One lover is explaining how he can feel his lover is no longer there, no longer putting anything into the relationship. Neither feels they can survive alone, they are too dependent on each other, but he ends it.”

Kris smoothly finished the explanation, “The song is about how stay with someone because you are afraid of being alone is wrong. You only end up hurting each other.”

Martin James asked scornfully. “So the recent articles regarding the nature of your relationship did not make you think twice about it?”

Kris shook his head, “We had always intended the performance to be about a couple, with each of us playing one of them. The song is amazing, there is so much raw emotion. I knew it was the perfect song for us.”

“No. I felt the audience could connect with it and it’s a fun song. Most people can identify with it and it has an important message.”

“Thank you, Adam. How do you feel about the articles regarding the nature of your relationship?”

“I don’t pay attention to them. I can’t control the press.”

Once Adam has finished answering the insidious man's question Kris said simply, “They don’t matter, we aren’t going to let that affect our relationship.”

“So you are not having sex together?”

Adam said honestly, “No. Kris and I are not now nor have we ever had sex with each other.”

 “Alright. I’ve got everything I need.”

Kris waited for the reporter to leave before turning to Adam and smiling reassuringly, not wanting the man to think he was upset about the questions. Kris accepted the invasive questions as the price they paid for fame, he knew they would be worse when he and Adam became an official couple as it were. Knowing this he had no second thoughts about telling everyone he was in love with Adam, he would not be made to feel ashamed of being in love with such a beautiful, caring, gentle, amazing, free spirited, thoughtful man. Kris had always felt that love was such a rare, amazing treasure that it should be acknowledged and shared with the world.

“What now?” Kris asked with an easy grin.

“A car will be here in twenty minutes to take us to some location for a shoot,” Adam replied immediately, he made a point of keeping track of all their appointments so he was never late since it was a quick way to build a diva reputation.

“I better get changed then,” Kris said knowing he should put on some fresh clothes.

*******

The location turned out to be an old warehouse, the rooms decorated in different themes. The four were split into their duet pairs and taken straight to wardrobe.

Kris looked down at the clothes he was wearing convinced he looked ridiculous. He was currently wearing black patent leather pants, a red netted shirt, ten inch black boots, thick silver eyeliner, and bright red lipstick. He had point blank refused to hold the whip he was given but as a compromise, he allowed the black and red choker. Adam was wearing skin tight black leather pants with a sheer silver shirt, eight inch red patent leather boots, bright red lipstick, and black eyeliner. They both had their faces covered in white makeup, which made their lipstick and eyeliner jump out.

“Why the fuck are we dressed like Anne Rice meets a hooker convention?” Adam snarled at the photographer, knowing that Danny had been dressed in a long sleeved white shirt and velvet pants.

“We are going for a goth look,” The photographer snarled, the pair had already delayed his shoot by moaning.

“Wonderful, just what I want my family to see, me looking like a rent boy,” Kris said sarcastically, noticing Adam eyes sparkling with anger he asked, “You okay?”

Adam shrugged saying bitterly, “I'm just so sick of the whole gay equals slut thing the media seems to constantly portray. It’s so condescending, Kris.”

“Hey, the assholes who believe that are not worthy of your attention.”

“You always know what to say, Kris.” Adam said with a smirk.

“Now I want you to glare at me,” The photographer said ignoring the complaints.

“That won’t be a problem,” Adam muttered.

Standing next to each other as directed, their bodies angled into each other, the pair looked straight at the camera, eyes cold and hard. Kris couldn’t believe the show was allowing it, he thought it would be more of a scandal than the whole gay thing.

The photographer shivered, the pair looked like they would happily kill him. He could understand their complaints but he had his orders as to just what the look was and besides the pair looked very photogenic together.

The photographer smiled, “Wonderful. Now against the left wall, Kris, crouch facing the camera with a snarl, as if you are going to pounce at it. Adam, stand behind him with a sexy smirk, one foot on the wall behind you.”

The pair moved into position without complaint already knowing they couldn’t convince the man to go off script. Once the pictures were taken, Adam moved away from the wall with a sigh.

Gesturing to an ornate mahogany armchair, which was in front of a cream wall the photographer, moved the camera so that it was facing the chair and looked down the lens.

Satisfied the frame was right he ordered, “Kris, put on this leather jacket. Adam, sit in the chair with your legs apart. Kris, sit on the floor next to the armchair, legs laid out in front of you. Rest your head on the leg of the chair next to Adam’s right leg.”

Once they were in position the photographer said commandingly, “Great, now I want you to give me your sexiest smile. Kris, I said sexy not moody!”

“I'm not exactly feeling in the sexy mood, sorry!” Kris said curtly.

Bending down and whispering so he wouldn’t be heard Adam said, “Just think about the pool.”

Kris did as Adam suggested, thinking of the wonderful kiss and the feel of Adam touching him through his pants, he licked his lips. He didn’t know how his face became flushed and eyes sparkled with desire.

The photographer didn’t care what had been said to make Kris change so quickly, he didn’t care if the pair even disappeared to fuck so long as he got his pictures because otherwise his editor would have his head on a platter.

*******

“Don’t worry,” Adam said reassuringly as he spied Kris anxiously biting his lip.

Desperation colouring his voice Kris said, “I can’t leave, Adam. Not now. If they do kick me out, I'm not going anywhere.”

“Same goes for me, honey.” Adam said, briefly squeezing Kris’s arm. He knew they were taking a risk talking in such a public setting but Kris needed the reassurance.

Having run backstage for a drink Kara looked at Adam and Kris as they stood next to each other backstage waiting for the results. She couldn’t help but feel there was something different about them, it wasn’t in what they said, it was in the chemistry surrounding them.

She watched as Alison started talking to Adam, who turned to face her. Her eyes were drawn to Kris as he looked at Adam with what she could only describe as devotion. Kara couldn’t believe what she was seeing, she had always thought Adam had feelings for Kris that could never be returned but apparently she was wrong. She wondered how it was going to turn out, she couldn’t see Kris leaving the woman he had been involved with for so long for Adam. Kara felt a surge of pity for Adam, she just hoped Kris never realised his feelings for the glam rocker because she didn’t want Adam to fall apart.

As the signal came that they would be on air in five minutes, everyone made themselves camera ready. For Adam, this involved running a comb through his hair and checking his makeup. Kris always got ready by closing his eyes and taking some deep breaths, centring himself.

As the music started, Kris felt his stomach start to churn with fear and hope. This was the moment they would find out if he and Adam got to stay together. If he or Adam got eliminated, it would be a disaster.

Hearing Ryan calling them out, Kris walked out first feeling Adam quickly touching the small of his back. He stood there next to Adam steeling himself for what was to come, praying he and Adam would get to stay together.

Hearing Ryan saying he was safe, his  hands went to his mouth to muffle his cry of relief. Kris felt Ryan trying to move him away from the stage but he needed to touch Adam first, he turned and hugged Adam as hard as he could. Knowing it would look strange if he only hugged Adam, he hugged the others making a point of keeping his hand on Danny's shoulder short. He couldn’t think of the man as a friend since he had practically told Kris he would happily reveal the details of his relationship with Adam as a means to remove them from the competition. Moving to the safe area, Kris smiled holding his hands to his mouth. If Adam made it through, he had at least one more week of living with Adam to enjoy, one more week he could spend waking up next to Adam.

Although he liked Daughtry, Kris wished they were not there because they were only increasing his torture. He needed to know if Adam was safe, finally they stopped singing and Kris presented their framed album. Kris took his chair and smiled in relief as Adam, Alison and Danny walked out. His heart was beating so hard he thought he was going to pass out as Ryan drew out the announcement as normal, then he heard what he had been hoping for his Adam was safe. Adam walked towards him and Kris knew only that he was in Adam’s arms, both of them sighing in relief.

Now that he could breathe again Kris returned his attention to the show, listening in disbelief as Alison was removed from the competition. The girl had become a good friend to him and would always hold a special place in his heart since she was the one who made him realise his feelings for Adam. He knew Adam would be in tears as he watched Alison leave, the girl was Adam’s sister in every way but blood.

As the show finished taping, Kris could only watch as his love ran to Alison holding tightly on to her and crying. He could make out them both reassuring each other that they would see each other soon. Seeing Adam was getting far more upset in public than he would be comfortable with, Kris moved forward to help Adam get more in control.

Placing one hand on Adam’s back Kris whispered softly, “Adam, it is okay. It’s not the end and she’s going to be back in a couple of weeks. Come on; let’s go sit down in the dressing room. Ally will be by to talk to you soon.”

“She’s like my little sister,” Adam said in despair.

“I know and she always will be no matter where she is. Let’s go, we can fix your makeup then we’ll go home, lie on the bed and watch Sabrina,” Kris said knowing the film was Adam’s favourite, well the original one anyway.

“Alright,” Adam said quickly wiping his eyes.

Forty five minutes later Adam was lying on the bed, Kris’s head on his shoulder, breathing in sync. Neither one had made any move to switch on the television, content to simply enjoying each other’s presence. Adam could feel himself calming and happiness starting to fill him the longer they lay there. He grabbed the hand Kris held out as if it was his lifeline, he could cope with anything so long as Kris was with him.

*******

Adam frowned as a loud beeping filled his ears, opening one eye he established it wasn’t the alarm clock, although he was surprised to see it now read eight a.m. He couldn’t believe they had fallen asleep so quickly or that he had missed out on a chance to spend time with Alison. He just hoped the girl wouldn’t mind, she would probably be happy to know he had fallen asleep with Kris since she had engineered their getting together.

The beeping reached his ears again so he frantically started looking around, spying Kris’s phone on the floor. He carefully moved from underneath Kris and picked it up, the display said unknown number. He debated whether to answer the phone or not. Deciding it could be important and knowing Kris would take at least ten minutes to wake up, he pressed the button.

“Kris’s phone, Adam speaking.”

“You slut, how dare you seduce my husband away! I'm going to get him back, he would only go for a whore like you if he’s desperate."

Adam felt a sting of pain at Katy's words, she had obviously received the letter and was understandably angry.

Adam took a deep breath to calm himself before replying, “Katy, I'll get Kris to phone you back.”

“Don’t you dare hang up on me!”

Adam ignored Katy's demand and ended the phone call, he would have to wake Kris and get him to phone the harpy back. He just hoped she wasn’t so hurtful to Kris, he could understand her feelings but Kris had been doing the right thing.

Stroking his lover's hair Adam said gently, “You need to wake up, baby. Katy phoned and she’s not very happy. I told her you’ll call her.”

Kris opened his eyes immediately and looked at Adam, quickly seeing the pain burning in his eyes. He could only imagine what Katy must have said to upset Adam since the man was not easily upset.

“What did she say to you, Sweetie?” Kris said, needing to know just how much damage she had inflicted.

Adam shrugged off the worry replying, “She acted as well I expected, it doesn’t matter.”

“It does to me. Whatever she said was wrong. I had better talk to her,” Kris said earnestly.  
  
Adam offered, “Honey, do you want me to go so you call speak to her?”

“NO! I need you here to help me get through it.” Kris said quickly.

Sitting up in bed Kris gestured for Adam to get back in bed and took the held out phone. Dialling Katy’s number, he bit his lip praying that she would be able to see reason. Surely, she didn’t want him to stay married to her when he didn’t love her.

“Hi, Katy.” Kris said politely, he couldn't start yelling at her until she was given the chance to apologise to Adam.

Kris said seriously, “No, it’s not a lust thing. I love him.”

Hearing how cruel she was about the man he loved Kris's eyes glinted dangerously as he snarled, “Adam is not a whore or a slut. I love him, no I'm not joking.”

Unwilling to listen to her threats of outing him Kris said nonchalantly, “I don’t care, Katy. They already think that....I'll send you the papers once I see a lawyer.  
  
Goodbye, Katy.” Kris said ending the call.

As Kris lay back down, his head on Adam’s chest as he tried to put Katy’s poisonous words out of his mind. He couldn’t believe how cruel she had become, calling him a lawless heathen but that was better than what she had called Adam.

“It’s alright, baby. She’s just angry. She will not tear us apart,” Adam said gently.

“I know but I hate hurting her,” Kris said softly.

Adam didn’t know what to say to help so they just lay there without the world intruding on their perfect moment. At the knock on Adam’s door, the pair stayed together knowing it didn’t matter since they would be coming out to world soon.  

Alison bounced into the room, not blinking at the two of them bed. She smiled and made herself comfortable on the bottom of the bed. Alison was relieved she had managed to accomplish what she needed to do. At least she knew that the pair would have each other, she just hoped they told Katy about their burgeoning relationship.

Alison grinned saying happily, “I'm due to leave in twenty, I just wanted to give my big brothers a kiss. Do not hurt each other because honestly I’ve got no idea whose side I'll take.”

The three spent the rest of time talking about anything and everything, each one putting aside the fact that one of their number would be leaving soon. Alison looked down at the beeping of her phone. Her mom was outside waiting, Alison gave the men a quick kiss and walked out of the mansion.

Inside Adam’s bedroom Kris smiled as they got out of bed and with a surprising amount of dexterity, kissed Adam passionately. It was a relief knowing they could now come out. With that thought in mind, he broke the kiss and smirked at Adam. The American Idol audience wouldn’t know what hit them now, he was looking forward to it.

Part 6

Adam picked up his toothbrush and started brushing his teeth, smiling at Kris who was doing the same next to him. Halfway through Adam stilled as he looked at their reflection in the mirror struck by how right it felt to be doing such a simple thing together. He was looking forward to spending the rest of his life sharing such domestic moments with Kris; to him it proved Kris was the one for him. He had never contemplated such things in his previous relationships.

Together the couple walked back into the bedroom and Kris took the moment to pull the older man into a tight hug. He needed to feel Adam against him, to make him feel safe, loved and strong. Adam made all his fears about how his family was going to react to them being a couple fade into the ether.  
  
Still inside his love’s embrace Kris said with a sigh, “So what do you want to do now?”  
  
Adam kissed Kris’s shoulder as he said flippantly, “Well, I think you need to call your parents and I'll call mine. They should know about us first. You’ll probably be able to hear my mom’s scream of joy since she likes you so much.”  
  
“Yeah, especially since Katy threatened to go to the press. I think it was her overreacting. She’ll be a lot calmer once she processes everything.”

The saying about a woman scorned flashed in his mind as Adam commented, “Maybe not, she probably wants to hurt you, baby. From her point of view you are not hurting over the end of your marriage since we’re together.”

“I do hurt though, just because I love and adore you doesn’t mean that having to hurt her doesn’t cause me pain. She was malicious, nothing like the woman I loved.”

Adam squeezed his boyfriend’s hand saying, “I know but she’s not exactly thinking clearly. She’s so angry that she wants someone to blame. To be honest, baby, I'm used to people talking shit about me.”

“You shouldn’t be, Adam. You don’t deserve it and I refuse to let anyone treat you like that! How are you feeling today? I didn’t knock your ribs last night, did I?”

“I'm alright. The painkillers are working a lot better and it doesn’t hurt as much to breathe. Now it’s more like a twinge instead of a constant sharp pain. To be honest, I’ve been so buzzing on endorphins since the pool that it hadn’t been a problem. Now, do you want to call your parents from here or your room?”

Kris smiled nervously saying, “While we’re on the subject of bedrooms, can I move in here with you? I don’t want to just assume.”

“Honey, I’d be upset if you didn’t. I want us to take our time on the physical side of our relationship, we need to move at a pace that is comfortable for us, sex doesn’t need to happen right away. It will make us stronger in the long run, Kris.”

Kris nodded since it made sense, he was happy to let their relationship grow at natural pace. He wanted their relationship to be built on a solid foundation because he couldn’t face it if their relationship ended before it could begin. At least he could spend his nights in bed with Adam, feeling the beautiful lean body next to him. Kris was still captivated by how vulnerable and serene Adam looked asleep, driving his protective nature into overdrive.

“Why don’t you get dressed and then we’ll call my parents. I want a chance to build up my courage.” Kris said, his voice shaking. He had a feeling his parents would accept him but there was a spark of fear in his veins that he could be wrong.

“Sure thing, baby.” Adam said pulling Kris into a quick kiss before walking out to bathroom.

Kris lay back down on the bed as he heard the shower start. He couldn’t believe how quickly his relationship with Adam had progressed and how much he had loved Adam without realising it. He had been blind to the fact that Adam was always his obsession, the person who occupied his every thought since he had met the man.

Kris jumped as his mobile phone on the bed next to him rang loudly, he picked it up and looked at the display. It was his mom and he was terrified of what she was going to say, considering the timing he suspected Katy had called his parents.

Swallowing he answered the phone, “Hi mom.”

“We’ve got you on speakerphone, son. Now, I’ve just got off the phone with Katy and she is very upset. She told me you have been cheating on her for months with a man. Is she telling the truth, Kristopher?”

Hearing hurt and disappointment in his mother’s voice did not help with his nerves but Kris knew that even if they disowned him he would not give up Adam. He was willing to crawl through the nine circles of Dante’s inferno if it meant he could have Adam for the rest of his life.

 “I never cheated on her but I am in love with Adam. I can’t imagine my life without him,” Kris said saying Adam’s name like it was a benediction.

“Why didn’t you tell us you were bisexual, Kris? Did we ever make you think that we would not love you? We love you and nothing will change that, Kristopher Neil Allen.”

Kris smiled when his mom called him by his full name since she only ever did that when she wanted him to really remember what she said. Kris said softly, “I’ve never been attracted to any man but Adam, mom. Adam’s just the one who makes my soul sing.”

“Well, I’ve always known Adam was important to you. Whenever either of us spoke to you, you always mentioned Adam. I saw your duet, the chemistry you have was almost tangible. Have you told Adam of your feelings?”

It was a relief that his parents were so accepting of him and his relationship with Adam. His mom was amazing, he couldn’t help but wonder if on some level she had anticipated him and Adam getting together.

Kris nodded saying, “A couple of days ago, mom. He said it wasn’t right for us to start a relationship while I'm married, he was right. Now I’ve asked Katy for a divorce, Adam and I can start our life together.”

“Well you must be certain of your feelings for him. This road will not be easy, son. You will have to support each other. How are you going to cope with the press?”

Kris shrugged “We’ll have to take it as it comes, dad. We are going to tell everyone about us, we just haven’t decided how. I am not ashamed of our relationship. Oh, we did for a photo shoot yesterday that was a little risqué. Adam described it as Anne Rice meets hooker and he was right.”

“Oh, I'm sure it won’t be too bad. Now, I want to meet Adam, we should know something about our son’s...boyfriend is it? I want to make sure he’s good enough for you.”

Kris laughed smiling as he said, “I'm sure Adam wants to meet you too, mom. I guess you can call him my boyfriend until we decide on another name.”

“Wonderful. Goodbye son. Remember we are always here for you and nothing will make us stop loving you.”

“I love you too mom and dad,” Kris said before ending the call.

“That seemed like it went okay, baby.” Adam said as he walked into the room a navy towel around his waist, having overheard the last part of the call.

Kris jumped at the unexpected sound saying, “How long have you been there?”

“Since you told your dad that you are not ashamed of our relationship. It’ll be great to meet your parents and see all the embarrassing baby photos.”

Seeing Adam’s mischievous smile Kris groaned, “I'm sure I can hide them before you get a chance. So how do you want to come out, Sweetie?”

“Personally, I'm all for making a bold statement but that’s just my inner drama queen,” Adam answered with a smirk.

“You have a drama queen streak, never (!)” Kris said with laugh before continuing, “What about on the show? It’s live and that should gratify you.”

“The producers would have a coronary! It’s perfect,” Adam said with a giggle.

“What should we call each other when we talk to people? Boyfriend sounds so high school and lover implies it’s just about sex,” Kris said thoughtfully, he had meant to bring it up yesterday but the day was such an emotional rollercoaster that it slipped his mind.

As he had only used boyfriend to refer to his exes Adam considered the question finally suggesting, “What about partner?”

Kris grinned trying it out, “Hi, this is my partner, Adam. Yeah, that sounds right, love.”

Kris pulled his partner towards him, taking a few seconds to savour the feeling of Adam’s hands caressing his skin. He pulled Adam’s mouth towards his own, gently licking Adam’s lower lip, overjoyed when he felt the man trembling at the touch. They kissed leisurely knowing they no longer had to be afraid of someone walking in and disturbing them.

Kris had never felt so happy in his life, he no longer had to worry about Katy and his parents, but more importantly, Adam was his; to cherish, love and protect. The simple fact that he could now kiss Adam wherever he wanted, and that one day he would be able to make love to Adam, to feel the man shaking with desire, made him feel weak at the knees.

“I'll go and get dressed,” Kris said with a smile.

“Okay. You can move your stuff over when we get back from the studio.” Adam said knowing they were already late and they would get lectured for it.

“I need to see a lawyer today and put everything in motion. I don’t know how I am going to pick one.”

Adam mulled over the problem before suggesting, “I can ask Ryan, he’s bound to know someone since he seems to have contacts all over the place.”

“Sounds good,” Kris said happy to follow Adam’s advice, he had always followed Adam’s lead, and that wouldn’t change now that they were in a relationship. Adam had a way of looking at a problem and seeing a solution almost immediately.

*******

“So happy you deigned to grace us with your presence, gentlemen!”

“Shit!” Adam couldn’t believe that today of all days Simon had decided to turn up at the rehearsals.

Once they had reached the chairs were everyone was sitting Kris said anxiously, “Er...sorry, something came up.”

“I bet it did,” Danny muttered scornfully, not realising that Kris had heard him.

Kris glared at Danny, he would prefer it if Danny insulted them directly instead of making snide comments and threats. Adam didn’t seem to be as bothered by Danny’s attitude but Kris supposed it was something he had experienced before. Kris knew it was something he would undoubtedly come across in the future but that didn’t make him feel better.

“Now this week you will be singing two songs, one chosen by yourselves, and another chosen by us. Adam, I will be picking one of your songs. Kara and Randy will be picking your song, Kris. That leaves Paula for your mentor, Danny.”

After the nods of understanding Simon continued, “Now this week you all will be going back to your hometowns for the parade. While there, you will be informed of your song choice, mainly for the cameras. The hometown parades are not negotiable. You will have minders with you when you go home in case anything gets out of hand.”

Adam looked at Kris, who to his trained eyes appeared to be nervous, understandable really considering the phone calls this morning and the media coverage they had received. He could only imagine what kind of reaction Kris would receive, it may be stereotyping but he didn’t imagine there were many openly gay people in Kris’s hometown.

“You can have the rest of the day to come up with your song. Tomorrow we will be sending you off to your hometowns. Goodbye,” Simon said before leaving the room.

Kris was biting his lip nervously as he tried to figure what he was going to do about seeing a lawyer if he couldn’t get an appointment today. He wanted to set the ball in motion before he went back to his hometown. It would make him feel better and show everyone just how serious he was about Adam.

Adam said, “I'm going to see Ryan, honey.”

“Okay, I'll go and look at some songs,” Kris said with a smile squeezing Adam’s hand briefly before the man walked away from him.

Kris frowned as his phone rang again, looking down he could see the display read home. He just hoped she had saw reason and realised they had to get divorced. There was no chance their marriage could ever work now he had found Adam.

With a sigh he answered the call, “What do you want Katy?”

“If you move out of that house and keep away from that slut, I'll take you back,” Katy said in a syrupy tone.

Hurt at her being so cruel about his partner Kris said hissed, “Don’t you ever talk about him like that! Katy, I am not interested in being with you. Adam’s the one I want to spend my life with, not you.”

“I will ruin you for this, you won’t be left with a cent! I am going to tell everyone what you have done. Everyone will know what an immoral, cruel, heartless heathen you are.”

“Katy, you can write it in the sky for all I care. Adam is amazing in every way and I'm proud to be the one he loves,” Kris said candidly before ending the call.

Putting the call to the back of his mind, Kris went searching for the perfect song. Everything had to be just right for him to survive another week, he would love to be in the final with Adam. He wanted to share the night with Adam, to watch as Adam was crowned the winner and achieved his dream. He wholeheartedly believed Adam would win, Adam had an amazing voice and was so charismatic he knew America would fall at his feet. Kris knew his voice was good but there were people with similar styles to his in the charts whilst there was no one quite like Adam in the charts.

*******

Adam strolled through the corridors heading for Ryan’s dressing room in case the man was there. He could never keep track of Ryan’s schedule, he seemed to be the busiest man in the business. Scrolling through the contact list on his phone, he turned a corner and banged straight into Simon.

“Sorry,” Adam said seriously, the last thing he needed was to upset the man.

“It’s fine. Can I have a word with you in my dressing room?” Simon ordered rather than asked.

“Sure,” Adam said breezily as he followed the man.

Adam took the chance to look around Simon’s large dressing room, impressed at how tidy it was and noticing the rail of T-shirts. It seemed Simon really did wear them most of the time.

Simon said seriously, “Adam, I know you and Kris are interested in each other. I have no problems with it but it might be a good idea to wait until the competition is over to start a relationship. The rumours will die down but someone will find out if you actually start dating and it could cost both of you the competition.”

Adam replied angrily, “Kris is mine, Simon. I love him and he loves me. I'm not going to let anyone take away the best thing in my life. We refuse to hide like it is some sordid sin.”

“Will you be able to sing against him if you both reach the final? To take away the recording contract he has always dreamed of?”

Glaring Adam passionately explained, “I would be overjoyed if Kris won and he would be the same for me. I'm not going to throw the competition for him, it would sully both of us, and I know Kris feels the same way.”

“Great, that’s what I was looking for. If either of you need someone to rant to about anything you can come to Ryan and I at any time.”

“We will do,” Adam said, pleased that Simon had confided in him all be it subtly that he was dating Ryan.

Adam had always suspected it was the case from their interactions and his fairly accurate gaydar. He had noticed small things in Ryan’s house that indicated Simon spent a lot of time there such as the tea in the cupboard and the t-shirts in Ryan’s closet. Out of respect, he had not asked about the nature of their relationship, feeling they would tell him when they felt comfortable.

“I don’t suppose you know any good, gay friendly divorce lawyers Kris might be able to see today?” Adam asked as the older man had a lot of contacts and feeling Kris wouldn’t mind him asking.

“I'll make a few calls and let you know,” Simon said after doing a mental catalogue of the lawyers he knew and coming up with four names.

“Thank you, Simon.” Adam said before leaving the man in peace.

*******

Adam grabbed Kris’s arm, leading the man into one of the many unused rooms, needing to talk with Kris and give him a kiss. He couldn’t imagine a moment when he didn’t need to feel Kris’s lips against his.

“Hey, baby.” Adam said in greeting.

“Hey, Sweetie,” Kris said echoing him with a grin.

“You look gorgeous, good enough to eat.” Adam said with a lustful smirk.

Kris looked down in his clothes in disbelief; he was wearing the indigo distressed jeans and the support local music t-shirt with black writing they had bought the day before. His top had garnered a few strange looks since it wasn’t something he would typically wear. He appreciated the quirky humour of it and had decided to wear it as soon as he spied it in his closet.

“You’re easily pleased,” Kris said wryly.

Adam laughed, “Oh, believe me I'm not.”

Adam quickly placed one hand around his Kris’s waist and bent slightly to give his boyfriend a slow yet passionate kiss. As they kissed, Adam shivered as he felt his lover’s hands wandering on his back and ass. They broke the kiss slowly, exchanging quick soft kisses as they parted.

“I couldn’t find Ryan but I had a....interesting talk with Simon.”

“You can’t keep me hanging there, what happened?” Kris said earnestly.

Adam shrugged saying quickly, “Well apart from saying coming out could cost either of us the title, he asked if I was going to throw willing to throw the show for you.”

Kris exclaimed in disbelief, “Of course you wouldn’t! I wouldn’t want you to.”

Adam nodded, “Exactly. I told him no and passed some kind of test. He let me know that he and Ryan are together, he also said they are both there if we need them. He’s going to make some calls about finding you a lawyer today. I thought you wouldn’t mind me asking him, baby.”

Seeing the uncertainty Kris quickly reassured, “Of course I don’t mind, Adam. I think he and Ryan are a good match. I wonder why they haven’t come out.”

“I'm sure they have their reasons,” Adam said with an unconcerned shrug.

“I’ve had another call from Katy. She swore she was going to take everything I have. She even threatened to expose what she called our immoral affair. I told her she could write it in the sky for all I care and hung up. She’s probably looking up the numbers for all the major stations as we speak.”

Adam pouted, “I will not be happy if she ruins the chance for my inner drama queen to squeal in glee! You’ll have to find some way to make it up to me.”

“I can think of a few ideas, babe. Now back to work, I'm going with Heartless. Can you have a look over it for me?” Kris said, he had decided to do a slower, version of the song but he wasn’t 100% sure on the arrangement.

“Of course, baby. You’ll sound amazing singing it as a ballad version and the different arrangement will make you stand out. I'm going to sing Areosmith’s Crying, I may as well make the most of being able to choose a song. Let’s relax, you can put the song on, and we will play around with it.”

Kris nodded at Adam’s words and led the way out of the room to the large break room, making a beeline for the comfortable armchair. He sat down and quickly pulled Adam onto his lap, waiting until Adam was comfortable and ignoring the stirring in his jeans, Kris took out his I-Pod. Placing one of the earphones in Adam’s ear and the other in his own he switched on the player and started Heartless, placing the track on repeat. Taking out the notebook he had grabbed from his dressing room, he opened it up ready to write anything that came to mind.

Simon walked into the break room to find Kris and Adam sharing a chair, Kris absently tracing patterns on Adam’s arm. Clearly, they wouldn’t have to worry about having to come out if they continued acting so uninhibited in public.

“Kris, I’ve arranged an appointment for you with Andrea Fletcher. She will not charge you for her time. A car’s outside to take you there,” Simon said seriously not mentioning what favours he had to call in.

Simon was willing to do it because he saw how happy the couple were. He may be portrayed as a cold, callous bastard to the world but he would do anything for his friends. He had come to like Adam, in no small part influenced by Ryan’s friendship with the man. Adam had somehow become Ryan’s best friend meaning the man had suddenly become very important to Simon. He knew Ryan would be very upset if Adam was denied his chance at happiness and he hated to see Ryan in a mood. Well, a mood that he hadn’t engineered to have amazing make-up sex, anyway. Although he didn’t know Kris much, he was sure the man was decent if Adam cared for him. The very fact that Kris wanted to see a divorce lawyer indicated just how serious Kris was about his relationship with Adam.

“Thanks,” Kris said sincerely before saying, “Let’s go, Adam.”

Adam quickly stood allowing the younger man to stand, smiling when Kris squeezed his hand tightly. Letting go of Kris’s hand, Adam led the way out of the building, their steps matching as they contemplated what would happen when they reached the lawyer’s office.

*******

As he took his seat, Kris took the chance to study Andrea Fletcher. She had strawberry blonde hair tied back in a French plait, a bright smile that immediately put him at ease, and was wearing a black suit with an emerald green shirt. He had no idea what she thought of his clothing, he hadn’t exactly dressed with a lawyer in mind having assumed he would just get changed first.

Watching her client take his seat and smile adoringly at the man with him Andrea immediately realised why Simon had insisted she take the case. It was going to end up a media circus if it wasn’t handled properly and she had plenty of experience with the press, not to mention that having a gay twin she wasn’t bothered by the relationship. Andrea had been intrigued by Simon going to bat for one of the contestants on his show. She had been amazed when he had told her that he would consider it repayment in full for his favour to her of helping set up her own practice. She had insisted on getting a contract detailing the repayments she would give him but still owed him just under $50,000 but all she had to do was help Kris Allen get divorced and the slate would be wiped clean. It seemed the couple had a guardian angel in Simon that they didn’t know about, at least they would have someone on their side skilled at dealing with the darker side of fame.

“Good afternoon, Mr Allen. My name is Andrea Fletcher.” Andrea said professionally.

Noticing the musical quality to her voice Kris smiled politely, “Nice to meet you. You can call me Kris and this is my partner, Adam.”

“Hello, Adam. Now, Simon said that you need a divorce lawyer, Mr Allen. Don’t be afraid to give me the full details, everything you say to me is confidential. Now have you been living here for six months? If not, where is your state of residence?” Andrea asked with a smile.

Kris bit his lip saying nervously, “Arkansas.”

“Let me just have a look at the divorce laws in your state,” Andrea said before walking to a large oak bookcase.

She quickly took out a book and had a brief look over the pages, thankful that she had insisted she have an up to date details of the divorce laws in each state along with all possible family laws she could think of. Satisfied she had enough information she took her seat and smiled.

“Now are you filing for the divorce? If so, on what grounds and do you have any evidence?”

Kris said softly, “Well, my wife will be filing today if what she screamed earlier was anything to go by. She will be filing on the grounds of adultery, it’s a pretty easy case. I sent her a letter explaining my feelings for Adam so she’ll use that as evidence. I do not want anything from her, she can keep the house, everything in it and the money in our joint bank account. I want to get it over with as smoothly and quickly as possible.”

 “Are you sure about giving her all of this, Mr Allen?” Andrea asked, bemused as to why her client would be so willing to give away everything he owed. Most of her clients fought tooth and nail to keep their things.

“Yeah, to be honest, I’ve got something more important more than material goods.”

Kris smiled at Adam who had been sitting next to him, the dark haired man’s s calm presence made Kris feel at peace. With Adam by his side, he had forgotten his fear about what the lawyer would say.

“Oh baby,” Adam said softly, tenderly kissing the back of Kris’s hand.

Once the moment between the couple was over Andrea asked, “Well that should be relatively simple, now do you believe this will be a contested divorce?”

Kris shrugged, “I’ve got no idea. I mean it shouldn’t be because I’ve made it perfectly clear to her that I am in love with Adam but I don’t think she believes that 100%.”

“That’s fine, Mr Allen. I will look over the information and organise the papers. I have a free appointment next Wednesday at 10:00 if that’s convenient.”

“That’s fine. How long do you think it’ll take for the divorce to go through?” Kris said with a nod.

Andrea said honestly, “Well that depends on how she reacts, Mr Allen. There is a three month waiting period after it is filed. You can see me in two weeks and I'll probably have a better idea. If I need to speak to you again or have any more information, I'll call you.”

“Great. See you then,” Kris said standing up and shaking the woman’s hand.

As they stepped outside into the street Adam smiled, “That seemed to be relatively painless, baby.”

“Yeah, until Katy gets the papers. I did tell her so it’s not really my fault if she didn’t pay attention.”

Adam said, “Exactly, Kris. Now I'm starving, how about you?”

“I could eat,” Kris said shrugging, he wasn’t really bothered about eating but they had not eaten breakfast and he knew how moody Adam could get if he was hungry.

Adam hailed a cab and let Kris get in first, one hand in the small of his back. Thinking of the restaurant they had gone to the week he had been saved from the bottom three, Adam gave the address since they now had another thing to celebrate. Fortunately, given the time of day, it was unlikely the restaurant would be busy.

*******

Once Kris had sat down Adam slid into his seat, grinning at the slightly romantic environment. They had been given a table towards the back of the dining area as the hostess had recognised their names and said she wanted to make sure they weren’t disturbed. The table had a bright mango calla lily in a simply tall glass vase; the tables were separated by a black wood framed frosted divider covered in oriental style butterflies and flowers.

Looking over at Kris who seemed lost in thought Adam contemplated whether he should ask about what was so upsetting his boyfriend. He knew that there were a lot of things Kris could be thinking about, both of their lives had changed in the space of five days. Adam knew they had been the most important, exhilarating days of his life.

“So are you ready to order, honey?” Adam asked seeing a waiter approaching.

“Yeah,” Kris said with a grin as the waiter arrived, seeing the waiter had not taken his eyes off Adam, Kris frowned.

“My name is Rob. Are you ready to order?” The waiter said, staring at the black haired Adonis in front of him.

Hoping to get rid of the interloper Kris quickly gave his order, “I'll have number 13, with the dressing on the side. I'll have an iced tea.”

Adam ignored the lust filled eyes of the waiter saying, “The number 5, and water with lemon.”

Rob went to process their orders, ignoring the eyes he could feel watching him. One in anger and the other in amusement, it was disappointing that the Adonis hadn’t even looked at hm.

“I can’t believe him, trying to hit on you when I'm here!” Kris said lowly.

“Don’t worry about it, he just fell under my amazing spell,” Adam said with a grin before saying seriously, “He can flirt all he wants; I only have eyes for you.”

Kris knew he was grinning madly but he couldn’t control it, just hearing Adam was not even slightly tempted made him want to jump for joy. Kris knew Adam was the object of adoration for many people but the knowledge that Adam was his made it acceptable. He couldn’t help but think that once everyone realised what an amazing person Adam was, they would be bending over backwards to get to him.

Seeing the pleased grin Adam had to admit he found the jealous/possessive streak adorable and knew it was motivated by insecurity and fear. Kris would no doubt feel more secure once they declared their relationship to the world. He hoped so, because he was not going to end up in another relationship that was fraught with jealousy and accusations once had been enough.

Looking again at their surroundings Adam laughed lowly asking, “So is this our first date?”

“Yeah, I guess it is. It’s kinda weird to have a first date after everything.”

“Well, being conventional has never been my strong suit,” Adam said with a low laugh.

Kris asked thoughtfully, “Do you miss musical theatre?”

“No, I’ve always dreamed of being on a stage singing to people. The musicals were a good way of satisfying the need but to be honest, I want to be the loud voice in the crowd, instead of one of the crowd. Besides, my singing is just theatrical enough to satisfy my inner drama queen.”

“Great. I didn’t like the thought that you had to sacrifice one dream for another, Adam. I don’t want you to ever be forced to do that.”

“So tell me some more about your family,” Adam asked eager to be fully prepared for the day he got the chance to meet them. He was worried that they really would resent him for ending Kris’s marriage despite what they had claimed.

“My mom and dad are called Kim and Neil, they are very laid back. There’s not much that seems to bother them, my brother Daniel is a cheerleading coach. It’s weird because for so long I was known as Daniel’s brother and he keeps saying people are asking him if he is Kris Allen’s brother. We are generally a very close and emotional family, we talk about everything. What about you?”

“My mom is called Leila and my dad is Eber, they’re divorced. I have one brother called Neil. My dad is the one that got me interested in music, he was a DJ. I think they are more excited about American Idol than I am. My mom is my confidante, I always speak to her.”

Smiling widely, Kris reached across the table and took Adam’s hand in his, delighting in the soft, happy smile it produced. He could wonder and joy in Adam’s eyes as if he couldn’t believed this was really happening. He looked up at the sound of coughing, turning he saw the waiter and grinned at the disappointment in the man’s eyes.

“Your food, gentlemen. Please enjoy,” The waiter said dismayed that the tall black haired man was taken.

Rob knew the American Idol contestants were not yet officially out and he wouldn’t change that. His personal code was that he would not force anyone out of the closet, he could remember the pain when it had happened to him. He had to admit they looked good together and seemed to be really in love, he had noticed how they were lost in their own world.

*******

“I'm going to miss you, baby.”

“I'll miss you too, Sweetie. At least you don’t have to worry about a vengeful wife coming after you. At least my parents will help keep her out of the way.” Kris said softly, holding Adam’s hand tightly.

Katy would probably use the time to get at him, Kris was relieved that his parents knew about him and Adam meaning they would be there to provide a buffer if needed. He just didn’t want to be away from Adam, he felt as though he would fade into nothing without Adam there. Without Adam the world seemed to be colourless, it had always been that way. Kris knew it was dangerous to depend on the man so much but it felt too good to be wrong.

“I guess this is it,” Adam said pulling Kris into his embrace and never wanting to let go.

Adam couldn’t believe how horrible it felt to know that he was going to be apart from Kris. They hadn’t been seeing each other very long and now he had to let Kris go into what could be a hostile and violent environment alone. He couldn’t bear the thought of Kris being alone and getting hurt because he wasn’t there.

Adam felt as though he was going to fall apart without Kris nearby. Sometimes it felt like he couldn’t survive without Kris, the man had become as necessary to him as oxygen. Kris was his obsession and it felt heavenly. Even before they had started dating Adam invariably found himself seeking the younger man out, thankfully Kris hadn’t found it weird or wrong, and seemed to feel the same way. Kris would often seek him out and they would simply just sit together sometimes they just sat in a comfortable silence knowing they didn’t need to fill it with meaningless words.

The pair kissed desperately, knowing logically that they wouldn’t be apart long but it felt like an eternity. They had no choice though, it was something they had to do if they wanted any chance of being in the final. Hearing the hooting of their driver, the pair parted and walked out to their separate cars.

******

Adam looked out the window, feeling that he was leaving his heart behind. He wanted to back with Kris, lying next to the man and exchanging quick kisses. He knew the parades could only help them in the competition since it would give them more fans and Adam wanted nothing more than for Danny to be kicked out in the next round. He hated the man for upsetting Kris and wanted him as far away from Kris as possible. It was unfortunate that they would be touring together but thankfully they wouldn’t have to spend as much time together and he was sure the others would help with Danny.

Opening his back, he got his I-Pod smiling softly at the piece of paper taped to the screen reading ‘open me’. Adam quickly opened it and stared in amazement.

Adam ,  
  
---  
  
This  perfectly describes how I feel about you.  
  
   
  
If I could have just one wish,  
  
I would wish to wake up everyday  
  
to the sound of your breath on my neck,  
  
the warmth of your lips on my cheek,  
  
the touch of your fingers on my skin,  
  
and the feel of your heart beating with mine...  
  
Knowing that I could never find that feeling  
  
with anyone other than you.  
  
\- Courtney Kuchta  
  
   
  
Love always,  
  
Kris  
  
Adam took the letter and placed it in his wallet, wanting to keep it close at all times. He couldn’t believe how romantic Kris was, it seemed that every day Kris was amazing him. He just hoped Kris liked the mix CD he had sneaked into Kris’s backpack.

Part 7

Kris woke up and reached out to the pillow next to him, moaning in distress when he found it empty. Opening his eyes he realised he was alone, Adam’s voice was coming from his speakers. He had found a CD in his bag with a post it attached reading ‘now you can have a part of me with you.’ He had played the CD and discovered it was full of Adam singing, some were songs performed while in the mansion or in the competition, others must have been recorded earlier. He had put the CD on as soon as he landed, feeling as though Adam was singing right in front of him.

On arrival in Conway, Kris was had immediately gone to his parents house to stay knowing they would want to hear more about his relationship with Adam and how he intended to deal with Katy. He was sure his parents had not been happy when he put the CD from Adam on and kept it playing throughout the night. He wanted to feel as close to Adam as possible. Knowing he had a busy day, Kris reluctantly got out of bed and headed for the shower.

Walking down the stairs, Kris smiled as the aroma of French cinnamon toast filled his senses, no one made French toast as good as his mom’s. Stepping into the kitchen, he found his parents sitting at the table, waiting to eat. Joining them, he smiled in thanks as his mom placed the French toast on his plate.

“I heard music from your room last night, was that Adam?” Kim said with a grin. It was great to have him back and looking so happy.

 “Yeah, mom. He has an amazing voice,” Kris said gently.

Kim smiled, “I really liked him singing I Can’t Make You Love Me.”

Kris nodded, “That’s one of my favourites, Adam puts so much emotion into everything he sings. He is an amazing singer and he’s got a massive heart. People think that he’s some arrogant, diva rocker but he’s not like that. He’s kind, beautiful inside and out, gentle, loving, funny and thoughtful.”

 “He sounds wonderful. So I guess you’re busy all day?”

“Pretty much,” Kris said going through the itinerary in his mind.

Before the conversation could continue Kris’s phone starting ringing, looking at the display Kris couldn’t help but grin widely. With an apologetic glance at his parents he answered the call.

“Hey, Sweetie.”

“Hey, baby. I loved your note, it was so romantic.” Adam said happily.

Kris blushed, “I just wanted you to know how I feel. Thank you for the CD, you sound amazing. The I Can’t Make You Love Me performance is so heartbreakingly beautiful, when did you do it?. Did you sleep okay?”

Adam laughed softly, “You are going to turn me into an arrogant diva if you keep giving me compliments. It was at a New Year gig, I love the song so I just had to put it on the CD. I had a decent sleep, the bed feels a little big without you.”

“Same for me but your singing got me to sleep,” Kris said honestly.

“Is that a compliment or complaint?” Adam said wryly before continuing, “Have you got a busy day, honey?”

Concerned Kris said, “Yeah, I’ve got some kind of assistant/media person in the car that’ll be here in around...an hour and a half. Are you okay, love? You sound...subdued.”

“To be honest, I'm not particularly happy with having to be here, this town doesn’t hold the best memories for me but the show must go on. I'll be okay, Kris.”

“If it gets too much, just give me call. I'll have my phone on all the time, don’t try to tough it out. I love you, Adam Lambert.”

“The phone thing goes both ways. I better go. I love you too, Kris Allen.” Adam said sincerely.

Ending the phone call, Kris turned back to his parents with a small blush. He had forgotten they were there and was a little embarrassed that they had heard him being so sappy.

“You sounded very sweet together,” Kim said softly, eyes sparkling as she realised that her son was truly in love with Adam and it seemed Adam was just as besotted with her son. Her heart ached for the treatment they would receive once their relationship was known to the world.

*******

Adam smiled as he put down the phone, feeling a little lighter now that he had talked to Kris. He was a little angry with himself for letting his anxiety colour his voice because he hadn’t wanted to upset Kris. There wasn’t much he could do about it now, he should have known Kris would pick up on his feelings since his lover had an unparalleled skill at reading him.

Picking up his bagel, Adam walked out of the room, smiling politely at his minder. He had been relieved when the first thing the man did when the met immediately put him at ease. The man had smoothly told Adam that he didn’t care where Adam stuck his cock, he would protect the man with his life. It was refreshing to have someone be so blunt with him; he had been around too many people who were nice to his face but sneered behind his back.

He had grabbed a copy of his schedule from his minder the night before so he was fully prepared since the PR rep who had accompanied him to San Diego hadn’t provided one. Adam still hadn’t decided if it was a deliberate move by the show to make him off kilter or if the woman simply forgot to give him a copy.

He walked out of the hotel to a crowd of people holding out pens, pieces of paper and in some cases clothes. Grabbing the purple marker held out by his minder with a smile, he made his way through the crowd of people smiling and signing. This was what he had always wanted, to be an artist and have fans of his own. He had dreamed of his music to making a lasting impression on his audience, truly affecting them.

“Mr Lambert, we have to go to the car now.”

Adam looked up at the gravelly voice to his right and nodded in agreement. He was still awed that so many people had come out to see him, since he hadn’t envisioned such a positive reaction. It relaxed him to see the acceptance of the crowd, he just hoped he would get the same reaction at the events Idol had scheduled for him.

*******

“Kris, I love you and so does the rest of the family but you need help. I don’t know how but something happened, you are not acting like you.”

“What the hell are you doing, Daniel? Tell me this isn’t the intervention it sounds like!?” Kris snarled, angry and disappointed at the same time. He had never imagined his brother would be so against him being with Adam, that he would prefer to think Kris had been brainwashed or something.

Looking straight into his brother’s eyes and ignoring the anger Daniel said softly, “I love you bro, I only want to help you. You’ve changed since you’ve been in LA. I just want to make sure everything is okay and nothing is influencing your behaviour.”

“Of course, I have! I’ve had so many new experiences and met so many different people. Danny, you can’t expect me to stay the same forever. Stop looking at me like I’ve gone crazy or been brainwashed!”

“So is Adam one of these new experiences?”

Kris hissed, “No, he’s not a new experience or experiment. I love him, Daniel. I’ve never felt this way before.”

Sighing Daniel sincerely said, “Look, I don’t have any problem with the gay thing but you have never been interested in men. He’s taken advantage of you being away from your family and wife. Kris, you don’t know anything about him or his intentions.”

Kris looked at his brother, dismayed to see the man was serious. He couldn’t believe his brother thought he was so easily led, that he was so naive and gullible. He may not be as street smart as some but he was capable of thinking for himself and taking charge of his own life and choices.

Kris said indignantly, “First of all, I pursued him. Adam said I was probably just confused or it was just a passing crush just like you. I had to convince him of my feelings and that we should be together. Secondly, I am not a naive child. I have a mind of my own, Daniel. I don’t need my family to protect me from the supposed evils of LA. I know everything important about Adam and part of being in a relationship is finding out new things about your partner.”

“You haven’t even known each other that long!”

Shrugging Kris said passionately, “It doesn’t matter. From the moment our eyes met at the Hollywood audition, Adam has been important to me. I just never realised how important he would become. We just kind of gravitated to one another. When I needed someone for any reason, I went to Adam. He didn’t care when I needed to talk, rant, be comforted, or simply bounce ideas off someone. Adam always accepted me, content to be whatever I needed. He’s the one I can always rely on. I'm surprised you didn’t realise how important Adam is to me since I always talked about him.”

 “So just how did you go from an intense friendship to dating?”

Knowing his brother would only understand if he heard the whole story Kris explained, “I almost lost Adam and it terrified me. I wanted to look after him so I told him I would be sleeping with him – in a strictly platonic way. I didn’t even give him a chance to argue. As I lay next to him, I realised how beautiful and fragile he was, making me feel a little overprotective. Later one of our friends, Alison asked me to think about how it would feel to lose Katy and how it would feel to lose Adam. I realised that I could cope with losing Katy, it would hurt, but I could get over it. The thought of being without Adam in my life, never hearing his voice, or seeing his eyes sparkle with passion tore my heart into shreds. It made everything clear, Adam was the one I was in love with. Somehow, Adam, had become my sun and moon. The thought of sharing every day of my life with Adam made me feel happier than I can ever remember being. To be honest, the thought of having sex with any man but Adam freaks me out but with Adam it feels right.”  

Daniel could see Kris was serious about being with Adam but he couldn’t help but think Kris didn’t look any different to him now that he knew Kris was in love with a man. It was ridiculous to even think there would be some outward sign that Kris was gay but there wasn’t. He knew Kris would lose some of his friends once he came out but he would do his best to sound people out before Kris came out.

Daniel swallowed saying seriously, “I....If you love him then you should be with him but you should have told Katy in person. Sending your wedding ring in the post with a letter was cruel and cowardly, Kris. She didn’t deserve it.”

Kris blushed ashamed of his thoughtless behaviour, “I didn’t want to hurt her. I wanted to give her time to come to terms with it before I came back to town. It would have been crueller to just string her along and I respect her enough to be honest with her about my feelings. Even if I did it wrong, I was only trying to make it easier on her.”

Daniel said coolly, “Well, it didn’t work. All you did was break her heart and make her dangerously angry. According to the town gossip, she’s been to see a lawyer so I guess she’s going to file for divorce. Are you ready for this, Kris? Katy’s not going to pull any punches when it comes to your relationship with Adam. It’s going to put you both under intense pressure, are you sure your relationship can handle the scrutiny?”

“I know and so does Adam. I don’t care how she tries to break us up, if I have to go through flames to be with Adam, I'll do it. I want to be able to kiss him in public if I want to, to hold his hand as we walk down the street. Adam is mine and I am not going to lose him.”

“Bro, you shouldn’t talk about Adam like that. He’s not a possession and you don’t own him. Being obsessed with him isn’t exactly a good basis for a relationship, Kris. It’ll destroy both of you.”

“I know and I don’t see him like that. I'm not obsessed with him, Daniel. I just love him so much and I'm a little possessive but he doesn’t mind.”

Kris was certain Adam didn’t care about his slightly possessive behaviour with the waiter when they went out after seeing his lawyer. Kris knew he would settle down once everyone knew about them, the pressure of having to keep his newfound feelings inside was making him on edge.

“Well, I'll support you and Adam but I want to meet him. I’ve got to make sure he’s good enough for my little brother. Wow, that’s not something I thought I would say.”

“It’s not something I would expect to hear either but Adam changed everything. Just don’t let him see my baby photos, I'll never live it down.”

“I'm not promising anything,” Daniel said, laughing at the dismayed look on his brother’s face.

“Daniel, I need you to get hold of a magazine before mom and dad can see it. It has a slightly sexual photo shoot Adam and I did. I want to see it with them so I can talk to them about it.” Kris said quickly before giving his brother the name of the magazine.

“You got it but I'm going to be there as well,” Daniel said seriously before leaving his brother’s bedroom.

Daniel was relieved his parents hadn’t been there to hear his talk with Kris because they would have yelled at him, believing he was being too quick tempered. It was true that he had a quick temper but he had wanted to know Kris was serious about being with Adam and getting divorced. Now he knew everything, Daniel was ready to help his brother in the future and his fears about Kris being coerced into a relationship with Adam had disappeared.

Now he was alone, Kris let out a sigh of relief. For a moment, he had believed that his brother was going to disown him but it seemed his fears were ridiculous. Looking at his watch, he found the car would be arriving for him in forty minutes. He rushed into the bathroom to smarten himself up before heading downstairs to relax in front of the TV for a while.

*******

Kris frowned as he realised it was the part of the show when he would have to see Katy, so far he had managed to avoid it since there were a lot of pre-arranged meet and greets, performances and interviews.

As his car pulled into his parents’ driveway, Kris saw the crowd of people waiting for him; friends and family he had not seen since going to LA. Where it not for his split with Katy, her reaction to his new relationship with Adam and the fear of their reactions he would have been overjoyed to see them.

Taking a calming breath, Kris got out of the car acting like he had nothing was wrong. He smiled widely as he spoke to his father; at least he didn’t have to pretend how great it was to see him.

Now he was looking at Katy, seeing the suppressed anger in her eyes as she lightly hugged him. Kris was shocked before realising she didn’t want to argue in front of the cameras, perhaps she had realised that it would only hurt both of them. Kris knew that was a pipe dream, if she was so angry that his brother could describe her as angry then it was only a matter of time before she went to the papers. Since Katy had someone with her that he didn’t recognise, he could only assume it was her lawyer.

Kris said something flippant for the cameras as he watched Katy, trying to figure out if she was actually going to cope with being around him. He truly regretted hurting her but he had to follow his heart, doing anything else would just hurt everyone.

Sighing in relief that the filming stopped whilst they piled into his parents garden, Kris turned as he was tapped on the shoulder. Seeing the man who had accompanied Katy, he nodded politely as he waited for the papers he was expecting.

“Mr Allen, you’ve been served.” The man said as he handed over some folded papers.

Kris looked at the papers, not letting the jolt of pain at being handed the papers show on his face. Although this was what he wanted, it hurt to know he was inflicting such pain on Katy. He couldn’t do anything about it though, he may not have been involved with Adam for very long but he knew where his heart lay and had carefully considered everything before asking Katy for the divorce. Kris knew it wasn’t a heat of the moment decision that he was going to regret.

Walking to his bedroom, ignoring the people who would be waiting for him downstairs, Kris sighed as he sat on the bed. He needed time to get control of himself before he faced everyone, he didn’t want to break the news of his impending divorce at what was supposed to be a party. Kris took out his phone, needing to talk Adam like never before, he knew Adam would make him feel better and understand his screwed up feelings,

“Good afternoon, baby.” Adam said brightly.

Kris smiled at the greeting, already feeling a little happier. It was amazing how such a small endearment could change his mood so quickly. He knew some would find such an endearment demeaning but it felt right and he loved hearing it from Adam.

“Hi Sweetie. Sorry for interrupting you but I just need to hear your voice. Can you talk?” Kris said calmly, not wanting to upset his partner.

“Give me a second, honey.” Adam said quickly before turning to the people in the small dressing room and ordering them out.

Kris couldn’t help but grin as he heard Adam telling everyone to disappear in his unique way. He knew Adam would be glaring at everyone until they cooperated, which would probably shock them all since Adam didn’t come across as very authoritative at first. Kris knew differently, his Adam was the one who had become the leader of their motley group of singers and could be relied upon to get what he wanted with little more than a raise of the eyebrows, a glance and a carefully worded demand.

“You are never an interruption, Kris. You don’t sound too good, what’s happened?”

“Katy just served the divorce papers; she looked so angry and hurt. I hate doing this to her, it hurts to know I have hurt her so much. I don’t know why since this is what I want to happen,” Kris admitted as he lay back on the bed.

“It’s bound to hurt, baby. Just because you don’t want to be with someone doesn’t mean you want to hurt them and she’s been a big part of your life for a long time.”

“Yeah. Adam, this doesn’t change my feelings for you. You are the one I want to be with, the one I love, the centre of my world.”

“I know, Kris and I love you too.”

“God, I wish you were here so I could kiss you or feel your arms around me,” Kris said lowly.

“We’ll be together soon, baby. It feels like years since I heard your dulcet tones. I'm warning you now that once we get back to LA I'm not letting you out of my arms. I'm going to spend days kissing you.”

Hearing someone walking up the stairs Kris sighed saying, “I can’t wait, love. I’d better get back to this welcome home party. I'll call you later. I love you.”

“Alright. Speak to you later, baby. Love you too,” Adam said tenderly as he ended the phone call.

*******

Adam looked at the phone in his hands, hurting for what Kris was going through without him. He was frustrated there was nothing he could do but offer comfort through the phone until they were together. Adam knew he would be completely lost without the phone connecting him and Kris.

He couldn’t wait to have Kris in his arms, it was all he had thought about since arriving in town. It hadn’t been that long in reality since they had kissed but they were still in what most people dubbed the honeymoon stage when a couple couldn’t bear to be apart. Adam had a suspicion they would always find it difficult to be apart considering the intensity of their feelings, he also knew that they would have to be apart on occasion.

Adam knew a part of Kris still believed that his divorce with Katy would remain amicable but Adam knew better. He could tell from the venom in her voice when she had spoken to him and what she had said to Kris that the woman was truly out for blood. She would want to hurt them as much as possible; reducing their chances of winning the competition would certainly do that. Adam knew the divorce was going to be a battle of words, it was only a matter of time until she went to the press. The question was, would she simply bide her time until she had formed a plan of attack or simply attack now in the hopes of ruining their dreams of a music career.

Adam dismissed the thoughts from his head; there was nothing that could be done. The only option was to wait to see how Katy would react, he and Kris had done everything in their power to make everything go smoothly. For now Adam had to focus on being the happy, bubbly American Idol contestant, there would be plenty of time for worrying about the future when he was back with Kris and could talk everything over.

*******

Kris smiled at his brother, mom and dad as he walked into the living room having let out the last of the guests. This was what he had truly missed, spending time with his family and now he had them all in one place he could discuss the likely reaction to him and Adam coming out. He wanted them to be prepared for what could happen in case they were caught unawares, before he could speak his brother walked over to the magazine rack and pulled out a magazine, which Kris recognised as the one he and Adam had done what he now thought of the rent boy shoot for.

“I just thought we should all have a look at it so we’re not surprised later,” Daniel said opening the magazine to the centre where the pictures of his brother and Adam were located.

Kris looked at the pictures of Alison, smiling at her serious look at the camera. She was dressed in a silver and black floor length dress complete with chiffon and netting. She had on a pair of black gloves and was wearing a silver withered rose necklace. Danny was wearing what appeared to be black velvet trousers and a frilled white shirt, looking at the camera. The next picture was of Alison sitting on an ornate black chair with Danny looking at the camera. Kris was relieved Alison wasn’t made at all uncomfortable and it was only right that she wasn’t dressed as provocatively as he and Adam considering her age and innocence.

Turning to the next page, Kris gasped at the pictures of him and Adam. He had to admit they looked beautiful together but he had never thought they would be so erotic. The lighting was such that it highlighted the choker he was wearing and their makeup, making them look otherworldly. The first photograph made him smile, seeing their ready to kill looks on their faces, they looked as if they were ready to take on the world. It was suitable since they may have to do that when they came out. The picture in which he was crouched ready to pounce the camera wasn’t too bad, even if it did make Kris look like bloodthirsty vampire and Adam as his owner, Kris quickly stopped that train of thought. Now wasn’t the time to think about how attractive Adam was in control, he could think about it in bed later. The next photograph Kris hadn’t known about, he was sitting next to Adam’s chair with his legs in front of him as he had expected but Adam’s lips were against his ear as he smiled seductively. The last photograph was the one he had expected, they were both looking seductively at the camera, as if they were just waiting for the cameras to disappear so they could fuck.

“You two look good together,” Kim Allen said eventually, slightly upset at how sexual the pictures appeared.

“It makes it look like you two are upset at a disruption to your sex life,” Daniel commented, ignoring the reproachful look from his father. He was only telling the truth and Kris had to know so he could be prepared for the public’s reaction.

“I had feeling they would turn out a little...sexual from the poses they put us in and our clothing. I did warn you that they were a little risqué but I like the third one, it’s not staged since we didn’t know it was taken. We were trying to get ready for the last one.”

“Well, at least people won’t forget you and it should get you plenty of votes. Are you going to warn Adam about them?”

Kris shook his head, “I don’t need to, dad. I think he expected them to be so bad and to be honest, he won’t care about them. He’s had similar photo shoots before while he was on stage. At least we're prepared for how people might react and it is a good indicator of how people might react when we come out. I'll speak to him later when he’ll be finished with the promotion work.”

******

“Hey, Sweetie.”

“I was just thinking about you, Kris. How did the party go?”

“It was alright, surprisingly no one asked why Katy wasn’t there. It was great to see everyone, I hadn’t realised just how much I missed them. Did you see the pictures from the shoot?

“Yeah, we looked pretty hot, baby. Even if it did make us look like horny vampires,” Adam said with a sultry laugh.

“I liked them too and my family didn’t mind them. Hey, where are you?”

“In my hotel room. Why?”

“Well, I know you said about taking our time when it came to our physical relationship and I think we should but I’ve missed holding you and I wondered...” Kris said earnestly before mumbling, “Do you want to have phone sex?”

Adam frowned at the phone knowing he must have misheard his lover before saying, “Baby, you’ll have to speak up. I missed that last sentence.”

“Do you want to have phone sex?”

Quickly taking off his bathrobe and getting comfortable on the bed Adam said with a sultry whisper, “You in the mood to play, baby? Like I'm going to turn down hearing you come because of me. Now take off your clothes and lie down on your back.”

“Okay, I’ve done it.” Kris said shivering at Adam’s commanding tone. He had never thought he would find it so sexy to be bossed around.

“Good baby. Now I want you to close your eyes and focus on my voice. I'm lying next to you, are you hard for me, Kris?”

Adam’s husky voice became the centre of his world as Kris nodded saying, “Yes, I’ve never been so hard in my life.”

Adam sighed saying huskily, “Me too, baby. Now, I'm running my hands down your chest tracing patterns on your skin. My nails are leaving marks on your skin but it hurts so good. Run your hands down your chest, baby. I'm pinching your nipples, can you feel it? Now I want you to lick your fingers and run them across your nipples, imagine it’s my mouth. Does that feel good, baby?”

Kris moaned as his hands moved down his body with his eyes closed he could imagine that Adam was with him. Adam’s breathing was hot and heavy in his ears, he could almost feel it against his skin.

“So good, please let me touch my cock.”

“Not until I say so, baby,” Adam said licking his lips as he imagined what it would feel like to taste Kris’s skin.

In his hotel room, Adam swallowed at the breathy sounds Kris was making, he was lost in the images it created. Seemingly of its own volition, his hand reached down, stroking his weeping cock. He took a shuddering breath before taking his hand away, wanting to hear Kris come before he did.

“Now I am working my way down your body, licking your skin, tasting you. I'm tracing your belly button with my tongue, feeling your muscles tightening against me.”

Kris groaned as he ran his wet fingers down his body, unconsciously panting at his touch....no Adam’s touch. His fingers were just a conduit for Adam. It was Adam who was touching him, making him feel so hot, needy, igniting a fire of lust inside him all at once. He wanted to touch himself but he couldn’t, not until Adam gave him permission. Adam was the one in control and he loved it.

“Your cock is so wet, all red and hard for my touch. I run one finger down to your hip, just moving in circles. I kiss you, just there on your hip before just nipping slightly. Leaving a mark that will remind you of this, of how much pleasure I can give you, to show you that you are mine, Kris.”

Adam’s voice created an erotic slideshow in his head making Kris beg, “Please, Adam. Please let me come.”

“Patience, baby. Now I move down now until I'm at your cock, it looks so beautiful, all hard for me.”

“Yeah, I'm so hard for you. I can feel it, Adam. I can feel your breath against my cock.”

“I'm kissing the tip of your cock teasingly, looking up at your lust darkened eyes.”

“Oh fuck...don’t stop.”

“I want you to stroke your cock, slowly up and down. Kris, that’s my hand teasing you.” Adam instructed as reached down and started to stroke his weeping cock, knowing it wouldn’t be long until they both came.

“If I was there, I’d stop stroking you and take your cock in my mouth. Going slow just gliding my lips down your cock, stroking your cock as I take you into my hot wet mouth. Your taste explodes across my tongue, making me moan, wanting more. Your hand goes to the back of my head, as you start fucking my mouth, hips are moving off the bed, you’re so desperate to come. ”

Kris’s hand never stopped moving on his cock, thinking of what it would feel like to have Adam’s hot, wet mouth around him. He was moaned as he felt himself getting closer to the edge.

“Do it, Kris. Stroke yourself, come for me. ”

“I'm coming, Adam!” Kris panted brokenly as he fell over the edge, his come soaking his chest.

In his room, Adam moved his hand quickly up and down his cock, eyes closed as his mind was filled with the image of Kris coming, falling apart because of him. He felt a tingling in his toes seconds before he came shouting Kris.

“Fuck, I’ve never come so hard in my life. I just wish you were really here,” Kris said harshly once he had regained

“Me too, baby. If you’re a good boy, we might do this for real soon. I want you to go to sleep and dream of me. I'll speak to you tomorrow morning,” Adam instructed.

“Alright. Goodnight and I love you, babe.” Kris said before hanging up the phone feeling better than he had since he had arrived in town.

Part 8

Although Kris had been awake for over an hour, he was still lying in bed, taking the time to think everything through. He was a little scared of how people would react to him and Adam coming out, he had never had to deal with his life being played out in front of the world before. He had always preferred to remain under the radar and now he would be catapulted into the limelight. At times, he questioned if he would be able to cope with the intense media glare without freaking out, he had not mentioned his fears to Adam because he didn’t want the older man to worry. The one thing he did know was that he loved Adam and wanted to be with him in public without having to worry about someone catching them together. He had come to realise that only Adam could help him with his insecurities, although he didn’t like to admit it, Kris knew only Adam could give him the reassurance he needed and could believe. He loved his family and appreciated them saying they would support him but Adam knew from experience how it was to come out and it felt. At least Kris knew that he wouldn’t be coming out alone as it since they would be coming out with their relationship which would draw as much attention as him suddenly going out with a man. Kris had accepted there were some who would have no qualms about him being in love with another man but would hate him for divorcing Katy, undoubtedly assuming he had been cheating on her.

Looking at the clock, Kris saw that it was 07:00, time to get up, and dressed so he could face the public yet again before going home to Adam. The magazine spread the day before had probably caused a lot of controversy and would probably come up in his interviews. Thankfully, his parents had been forewarned and didn’t have any problems with them. His mom had looked a little surprised for a couple of seconds but in the end, she had accepted them. He was overjoyed to be going home to Adam even if he would be in rehearsals for most of the afternoon and first thing the next morning. It was a little annoying that he would have to awake up at six on a Sunday morning but then they had lost vital rehearsal time due to the parades. He had practice as much as possible so that he could beat Danny, he was not going to miss this chance to be in the final with Adam. It seemed right to him that they be together until the end of the show, not to mention he truly wanted to win and have a recording contract. Since he had first heard Adam sing, he had come to terms with the knowledge that Adam would probably win but being in second place meant he was likely to get a record contract. He would be truly happy for Adam if his lover won and wouldn’t resent him.

After making his bed, Kris lay out his clothes for the day knowing they would probably get some weird looks. He would wear the clothes Adam had picked out for him, at least this way he would have another part of Adam with him. He had decided to go with the black jeans and the Simon Says t-shirt, resolving to wear the anything you say t-shirt when they got to LA since it was appropriate considering how the press behaved.

********

In his hotel room, Adam was putting the final touches to his hair, singing in front of the mirror. He was still buzzing on what had happened the night before, he had never imagined Kris would be so forward when it came to sex. It was a delightful surprise and something he looked forward to experiencing in person. Adam was just relieved that in a matter of hours he would be flying back to LA and have Kris in his arms soon, thankfully their visits to their hometowns had only been a one full day thing due to the tight show schedule.

The highlight of his visit home was going to the theatre school; it was the place in San Diego that held the best memories for him. He had truly felt comfortable there and he knew it had shown on camera.

Picking up his phone, he pressed the speed dial and waited impatiently for Kris to answer the phone. He needed to get his Kris fix before heading out to do the few publicity events planned and flying back to LA. He smiled at Kris’s happy greeting although he could tell Kris was feeling a little down. He would have to find out what was wrong when they were back in LA. He didn’t think it was something that should be discussed over the phone.

“Good morning, Adam. I was just going to call you, Sweetie. Last night was amazing, I can’t wait to do it for real.”

Hearing his lover's voice Adam smiled widely saying, “Morning, honey. Last night was out of this world, I’ve never come so hard in my life and we’ll do it soon enough. I can’t wait to see you again, baby boy. I'll be getting in around 12:00, any idea when you’ll be getting back?”

“Not until around 13:00, if there are no delays. I'll see you at home then. So am I your baby boy now?”

Adam nodded saying, “Of course you are. I call some of my friends baby and wanted a name all for you. I am not going to let you leave my arms when we get home. I have to make up for my lost Kris kisses.”

“I wouldn’t want to leave your arms anyway. Now go and get ready, babe, and I'll see you this afternoon.”

“Okay. See you soon, love.” Adam said shortly before Kris ended the call.

Adam felt his body throb with anticipation as he walked across the room, grabbing his sunglasses and heading out the door.

********

Adam nervously waited for the plane to arrive, eager to see Kris’s beautiful face. Adam had opted to wear the t-shirt Kris had complemented him on, a black Kiss t-shirt with black tight jeans and black boots. He was sure that he wouldn’t attract that much attention since this was LA and there were lot of major celebrities whose photos would earn a lot more money. Spying a familiar head getting nearer, Adam couldn’t contain his grin finally, Kris was home. He watched as Kris seemed to perk up on catching sight of him, apparently, his baby boy had been as tormented with the separation as he had been.

“Adam!” Kris exclaimed joyously as he spied the man in the arrivals lounge.

Ignoring their surroundings Kris wrapped his arms around Adam, taking care not to squeeze too tight. His head fell into the side of Adam’s neck, just above his left shoulder as he inhaled the musky, citrus scent he now associated with Adam. He felt the stress that had been bothering him for the last hour disappear. He would talk with Adam later about his fears. Adam would tell him the truth no matter what; it was one of Adam’s most attractive traits.

“Someone looks happy to see me,” Adam said with a grin as he broke the embrace.

“I'm always happy to see you. It felt like I was just going through the motions without you,” Kris said blushing.

“Let’s get going, baby boy, we’re expected at the studio in forty five minutes. Simon said he won’t believe me if there’s suddenly a traffic jam. I'm beginning to think Ryan’s been sharing a few too many of my tricks.”

“I'm sure you can come up with more, babe. Let’s go then,” Kris said with a laugh.

Adam nodded and picked up Kris’s bag, ignoring the alarmed look. He was perfectly capable of carrying a small holdall and Kris had packed light. They walked towards the exit to the airport, their shoulders and arms brushing as their steps evenly matched.

“How was the parade?”

Adam shrugged, “Good. I loved going back to see my drama teacher and the kids seemed to really listen to me. It was amazing.”

After leaving the airport, the couple’s way was blocked by a girl approximately seventeen years old with a slim build, green eyes, and shoulder length purple hair. The girl was smiling widely and was clutching a magazine in her hand, Adam noticed the hand was shaking slightly as she brought the magazine up. Looking at the cover, Adam saw it was the one published the day before containing the ever so controversial pictures of him and Kris.

“You okay there?” Adam asked seeing she was apparently lost for words.

“Oh...yeah I'm good. Erm....I really like you, not in a crush kind of way....not that you aren’t attractive...” The girl babbled seemingly awed by their presence.

Kris smiled reassuringly, “Hey...hey, calm down. We’re just two guys walking out of the airport, nothing to get worked up about.”

“Okay, yeah, okay. My name is Carolyn and I just wanted to ask you, if it’s not too much trouble, to sign this for me.”

Adam nodded and took the marker she held out asking, “Where do you want me to sign?”

“Could you sign it on the bottom of the page? You look great in photos. I love all of them, especially the second one.”

“Thanks,” Kris said carefully signing the magazine before passing it over to Adam.

“There you go, Carolyn.”

“Wow, thanks. I'm not going to ask if you are dating but it’s totally cool if you are. Lots of us fans will still be here. We just want you to be happy and you look totally hot together,” Carolyn said with a grin before walking away.

“That was...weird,” Kris said with a shake of his head slightly bemused at her behaviour.

Adam said decisively, “Weird but sweet.”

Kris was amazed at how Carolyn had offered her support without even caring if they were seeing each other. It made him happier to know some of their fans, such as Carolyn truly would accept their relationship. Kris wasn’t sure if she had accepted their relationship because of her age, Kris knew that for the younger generation homosexuality or bisexuality wasn’t that much of a concern but the older generations sometimes found it a bit harder to accept.

********

As they walked into the studio, Kris sneaked a look at Adam who was practically bouncing in excitement. It was adorable as always to see Adam so excited to perform, at times like this Kris was bewildered at how people could ever doubt Adam’s love of music and performing. Kris had been amazed to read some articles accusing Adam of simply using American Idol as a vehicle to get into movies.

“So what song did you get, babe?”

Adam smiled widely, “One, I can’t believe it myself. It is awesome that I'm going to sing it in front of everyone!”

“I’ve been given Apologize and I don’t know if I can reach the right notes. If I don’t, it is going to be a mess and I'll be kicked out.”

Stopping Adam turned to look his love in the eyes saying, “You will be fine, baby boy. You are amazing and America will see that. Not to mention you are going to just blow everyone away when with Heartless, all you have got to do is sing it as confidently as you do in our room. Honey, there is no way you will be eliminated.”

Kris shrugged knowing he had been the underdog from almost the start of the completion and given how popular Danny had been so far it seemed Danny and Adam would be in the final. He had never questioned that Adam would be in the final two and would win, Adam was so different to the other artists on the show that America would love him. Kris felt American music needed something to shake them up and that was Adam.

Adam led the way to the seating area where they would wait for someone to appear and let them know the rehearsal schedule. The schedule was carefully managed to ensure all contestants were given the same amount of time with the voice coach and onstage rehearsal.

“Hi guys,” Danny said cheerily.

The couple look at him in confusion. He never sounded so happy to see them, spying the crew nearby Adam realised why Danny was acting so out of character; Danny didn’t want rumours to get around of him being cold towards them. It would hurt his easy going, saintly image the man seemed to think the public wanted.

“Danny, get to the voice coach,” Simon ordered as he walked into the studio, waiting until the man had left to address the couple.

“You should know that Ryan’s heard whispers about Katy doing an exclusive interview the week of the finale probably planning to ruin your chances of winning. I will deal with the problem but I wanted you to know what she’s planning.”

“Simon, what do you mean deal with it?” Adam said thinking to himself that it sounded like the music mogul was part of the some criminal underworld. He knew criminal mastermind Simon would be terrifying.

“Just what I said, you don’t need to hear the details. “ Simon said with a smirk. He wanted one of the couple to win, he could see a way to market them and they seemed like genuine people.

“Erm.......thanks,” Kris said hesitantly, finding it a little weird to think of Simon acting as a sort of guardian angel for him and Adam.

“Don’t ever mention it to anyone. Adam, you are on the stage. Kris, you’ve got wardrobe and band consultation,” Simon said seriously before walking out of the studio, not wanting people to know he could be nice to people because it would ruin his Mr Nasty image.

“Have fun, babe.” Kris said with a quick squeeze of Adam’s hand before heading to the stylist.

*******

Adam and Kris were lying in bed exhausted after their long day, having been in rehearsals until eleven p.m. to make up for the lost time during their hometown parades. Adam was lying on his back, with Kris flush against his side, the smaller man’s head on his chest with an arm on Adam’s chest.

“What’s worrying you, Kris? Don’t say nothing because this is me you’re talking to. I know when you’re worried.” Adam asked seriously feeling the atmosphere was right to ask what had been worrying him all day.

Nestling even closer into Adam’s side, Kris swallowed nervously knowing it was time to reveal just how terrified he was about what could happen when they came out. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to come out it was just that he didn’t know how the public would react.

“I'm not used to everyone wanting to know about every single detail of my life and that’s what the press will do. I don’t know if I can cope with that, Adam. It has nothing to do with my feelings for you. I love you and I want to be with you forever, I want everyone to know about us.”

Adam kissed Kris’s head and saying sincerely, “Baby boy, we are just going to tell everyone we love each other and that’s it. We don’t have tell anything that we don’t want to, if anyone tries to invade our privacy, I'll bitch them out until they cry.”

Kris laughed because that was so an Adam thing to do and it would work too, Adam was great at tearing people apart without a second thought. Adam had fiercely defended him in the past when crew members had said something that Kris had found unsettling, hurtful or insulting. Kris never figured out how Adam knew just who had upset him but now he knew, Adam had obviously been watching him with the zeal that only those in love possessed and had noted Kris interactions with members of the crew he had bad encounters with.

“Thanks, love. I just want you to know that if I get freaked and lose my temper sometimes, it won’t be because of you, never because of you.”

Softly Adam said, “ Why would I be upset, love? I know what it’s like to come out and how it screws with your emotions. When I came out; I was terrified, anxious and elated all at once. As for the media, I'm not exactly looking forward to it but soon us being a couple will become old news and they’ll stop asking. As for you losing your temper, you do remember what mine is like – I terrified most of the house last time I really lost it.”

Kris smiled, “I know. It was funny to see them so scared since I wasn’t the least bit scared I had plenty of time to watch them You know, you look so hot when you’re angry.”

“Thanks, I think you look hot all the time especially when playing your guitar. For the last two months I’ve been thinking about fucking you as you play the guitar. “

“We’ll have to try that sometime but I don’t think I’d be able to play for long. I think I can sleep now,” Kris said feeling a lot calmer now he had talked to Adam.

“Time to go to sleep then, baby boy.” Adam said waiting for Kris to turn off the light.

Kris switched off the lamp and set the alarm clock, on the off chance that Adam wasn’t awake first. He quickly moved back into his space, as close to Adam as possible. Kris gave a contented sigh as Adam’s hand started moving in his hair. He felt better now that he had talked everything out, he wasn’t naive enough to believe this was the only time his insecurities would get the better of him but Adam would be there to soothe them.

Part 9

Taking out his headphones and switching off his iPod Adam looked around for the ringing phone, finding it inside Kris’s jacket. Opening it Adam looked at the display and it read Mom, now should he answer it and have an awkward conversation or pretend he never heard it?

Deciding to bite the bullet Adam answered it, “This is Kris’s phone, Adam, speaking.”

“Hello, Adam. Is my son there?” Kim Allen asked softly. 

“I'm afraid he’s getting ready at the moment, Mrs Allen. Can I take a message?” Adam said in a polite, happy tone

“Oh, don’t worry about it. Tell me the truth, Adam, do you love my son?” Kim asked bluntly, knowing she might be offending the man but not caring. Her son’s happiness was more important than social niceties and she could always make it up to Adam later.

“Yes, I love him. I wouldn’t have started this relationship if I didn’t love him.” Adam said sincerely, his love for Kris filling his voice.

Reassured Kim said happily, “Thank you, Adam. I just needed to hear you say it. Call me Kim, dear. Kris mentioned you were on Broadway before entering the show, how exciting! Relax and tell me all about yourself.”

Knowing he couldn’t relax while he was being ever so politely being interviewed by his partner’s mom Adam raised his eyebrows answering softly, “Well my full name is Adam Mitchell Lambert, I'm 27 and Jewish. My parents; Eber and Leila are divorced and I am still close to them. My brother is called Neil. I have an eclectic music tastes I suppose; everything from electro-pop to soul and R&B.”

“My name is Kimberley but you probably already know that and my husband is Neil, please call us Kim and Neil. There’s no need to stand on ceremony around us, you are family now. Dear, are you kosher? I wouldn’t to offend you when you come to our house for dinner.”

Adam shook his head answering, “No. I can’t wait to meet you in person, Kim. Have you got any embarrassing photos of Kris? I know my mom will show him all of mine and I think it’s only fair I get to see his.”

“I'll go through them for you. Now, my husband and I will be having lunch with you and Kris before the finale, I'll call with some more details once we’ve made a reservation,” Kim said not giving Adam a chance to refuse, wanting to meet the man in person.

“That would be great. I'm sorry, Kim but I’ve got to go. I'll ask Kris to call you and it was fabulous talking to you,” Adam said apologetically.

“It was good talking to you, too. Adam, try and stop Kris from stressed over everything. Good luck to both of you tonight, not that you’ll need it.”

“Kim, I'll do my best and thank you. Goodbye,” Adam said smiling.

At Kim’s farewell Adam hung up the phone and sighed in relief, it hadn’t gone too bad. He had visions of it being a disaster but Kim was a great lady and so accepting of her son’s relationship with him that he was awed. Adam had worried about Kris’s parents not being able to really accept him despite what they said to Kris.

Looking up at the sound of his dressing room door opening, Adam smiled as Kris walked into the room camera ready for their televised interview. It was their first interview since the vampire photos as he thought of them were published and would probably be a lot of fun since he loved messing around with the press.

“You mom just called, she’s nice.” Adam informed Kris, not mentioning the interrogation.

Kris smiled, “I'll call her later. So what did she want?”

Adam shrugged answering, “No idea. She just wished us good luck tonight. She seems cool.”

Kris nodded with a laugh, “That’s mom for you. Are you all set?”

Adam nodded, “Yeah. It’s strange the network scheduled an interview when we’re taping tonight. It's probably to make us tired so we don't perform very well.”

“Who knows why they do anything?” Kris said wryly, knowing Adam was right but willing to let it go since they wouldn't let the petty tactic work.

There was a knock on the door seconds before someone said, “You are on in thirty seconds.”

Sharing a grin the pair walked out of the room, Adam was wearing black jeans, his Liquid Blue Bang Your Skull t-shirt with his midnight blue boots. Kris was wearing tight indigo jeans and his Anything You Say t-shirt. They took their spot in the wings, watching the clips chosen for their introduction in amusement, Kris had to grin at the sight of Adam singing Feeling Good, he had never before noticed how seductive Adam was singing it, with that adorable curl of his lip but then he always thought Adam’s singing was seductive. Even before he realised how he felt for Adam, he had come away from each Wednesday night with a buzz of energy and joy from just seeing Adam perform on stage like the superstar he already was in Kris’s eyes.

“Now our next two guests are contestants on the hottest show at the moment, American Idol. Adam Lambert and Kris Allen are in the top three show tonight where they will be competing for that all important spot in the finale. Please welcome, Adam and Kris.” Debbie Hayes said wide, plastic smile.

Debbie had always disliked American Idol, feeling it was wrong that the winner, regardless of how truly talented they were had a recording contract given to them when people like her boyfriend were still waiting for a break in the music industry.

At their cue the pair walked into out onto the stage, Adam in the lead as per their introduction. Adam took the right hand seat, closest to the presenter. They both waved at the audience before turning to face the presenter.

“It’s nice to meet you both. Now, tonight is a big night for both of you. Any nerves?” Debbie said cheerfully.

Adam smiled, “Not really. We’ve been doing this for a while and we’re used to it. All we can do is give our best performance, the rest is up to America.”

“I’m looking forward to the show, we’re each performing two great songs,” Kris said honestly.

“Could you tell what they are?” Debbie asked with a smile

Adam gave a teasing smile saying, “Nope, sorry, you’ll just have to watch tomorrow.”

“Now onto the recent photographs of your joint photo shoot, they have been called very sensual by some people who have said they may affect the number of votes you receive. Did you have any concerns about them?”

Knowing he couldn’t say anything in case he was branded a diva Adam shook his head replying, “We knew the magazine wanted a gothic theme and we just followed the directions of the photographer who took some amazing shots.”

“What did you think of the clothing, Kris?” Debbie asked with a grin.

Knowing what the expected response was Kris said, “I'll admit, it’s not what I normally wear but it turned out okay.”

Debbie nodded, “Now we have had some calls and emails from our audience with questions for both of you. The first is from Graham in Texas who asks if you are nervous about your injuries from your attack stopping you from reaching the final, Adam?”

“Nope, my injuries don’t affect my singing.” Adam said honestly.

Debbie nodded before focusing on Kris and saying, “The next question is for Kris, how will you celebrate if you make it into the final?”

"No idea. I'll probably just go out to dinner with my family and friends,” Kris said with a grin, images of spending the night making love to Adam filling his mind.

Looking down at the card in front of her, Debbie read out the next question, “Our penultimate question is from Brian in NY for Adam. What does the mansion feel like now that Allison’s left?”

“It’s quiet without her happy laugh and chatter. I think of her as my sister and I really miss her.” Adam said honestly, feeling happier knowing that she would be in town for the finale.

“Last question, where do you both see your careers in five years?” Debbie said seriously.

Imagining what could happen Adam eyes sparkled as he answered, “My dream is to have an established singing career complete with tours and albums. Music is such an important part of my life. I love how music can transform lives and emotions; like a song that can remind a couple of when they first fell in love and make them give their relationship another chance.”

Amazed at question as it was a singing competition Kris shrugged, “My dream is the same as Adam’s, I think everyone in the competition has the same dream. Our love of music is why we all went on the show.”

“Well that’s all we have time for ladies and gentlemen. It was a pleasure meeting both of you and good luck. Adam Lambert and Kris Allen, everyone!” Debbie said with a polite smile.

Standing, the pair waved politely at the audience before heading off stage; each one looking forward to the brief hours of relaxation prior to heading into the studio. It was now noon and they would be heading to the studio for four when they would rehearse for an hour, go get something to eat, and then get ready for the show.

Adam was just looking forward to going back to the mansion that they now had to themselves since Danny had informed them he would be doing interviews all day. The way Danny had said implied that this was a big coup for him and they should be jealous, in reality, all Adam had started thinking about was having Kris all to himself in an empty mansion. The physical side of their relationship still hadn’t progressed past passionate kissing, At times Kris looked at him as if he was expecting Adam to take things further but he never pushed the point, obviously waiting for something.

“Hey Robbie,” Adam said in greeting to his minder, the one who he had first met during his hometown parade. He was surprised to see the man as no one had informed him he would be having a minder.

“Hello, Mr Lambert,” Robbie said politely, looking at Kris suspiciously.

As they made their way out of the studio Adam laughed, “Dude, how many times do I have to remind you? Call me Adam.”

Once they were in the car Adam decided to be frank with his minder saying, “This is Kris Allen, my partner.”

Robbie nodded in greeting whilst factoring Kris into the scenarios he had for a quick getaway should a dangerous situation arise. He noticed that Kris had blushed at the introduction, making it clear that the couple had not been involved for long. He had read a brief rundown of the other contestants so he knew that Kris was currently married but from the lack of a wedding ring, he assumed that would be changing soon. The impending divorce meant there was more danger for the couple; unfortunately, he could see Adam as being in the most danger considering how some people could react. As crazy as it sounded, there were some who would believe Adam had somehow corrupted Kris into being gay, ridiculous since your sexuality was something that was predetermined, and no one could turn someone gay or straight.

“What are your plans until you go to the studio?” Robbie asked wanting to know what his schedule would be like for the afternoon.

“We’ll be at home,” Kris said with a heated glance at Adam, he felt it was time to take the next step and needed to convince Adam he was ready.

*******

Kris said confused, “It’s weird no one noticed I haven’t been wearing my wedding ring, I thought it would be noticed immediately.”

“Maybe the public isn’t as observant as you believed or maybe they just don’t care. We’ve got the mansion all to ourselves for three whole hours, want me to give you a total rock makeover?” Adam said seriously, falling into hysterical laughter at Kris’s aghast look.

Taking a bottle of water from the fridge Kris said with an easy grin, “No thanks, I can’t pull off the look as effortlessly or effectively as you can. Do you want a drink?”

Adam watched as Kris took the bottle of water to his lips, nimble fingers caressing the neck as condensation started to form. He couldn’t smother the whimper of need as Kris swallowed the water, the movement of Kris’s throat as his head was tilted back. Closing his eyes to get control of himself, he missed Kris’s triumphant grin.

“Do you want to have a swim?” Adam suggested, needing some reprieve from the sexual tension before he lost control and pounced.

Kris said lowly, “No. What I want is to have your cock in my mouth, to taste you and suck you until you beg me to come. You’ve been driving me insane and I’ve had enough of it. I'm ready, Adam.”

Adam suddenly found himself backed up against the wall, one of Kris’s hands on the wall either side of his body, holding him in place. Adam moaned lowly as Kris rubbed against him whilst his tongue just licked his lips. Adam surrendered to the questing tongue, and they fell into a passionate kiss. His body was trembling as Kris moved away from his mouth and started placing slow, passionate kisses on his throat. Adam was desperate to touch Kris and reached out, only for Kris to give a low growl and shake his head.

“No touching, babe. Plenty of time for that later,” Kris promised huskily.

As Kris reached for the zip of his jeans Adam whispered, “Wait...wait, baby boy.”

Not letting go of Adam’s jeans Kris’s stopped to look up at his lover, smirking at the lusty moan it caused. He arched an eyebrow in askance, they both wanted this so what was the problem?

Adam said seriously, “No glove, no love, baby boy.”

Adam knew the chances of HIV being transmitted through oral sex were very low but he had been taught to always play it safe and refused to break that policy now. Once they had been tested and re-tested in six months time, Adam would consider rethinking that policy since he already knew they would remain monogamous

Kris smirked and pulled a piece of foil from his pocket, laughing at the incredulous look on Adam’s face.

“Hey, I’ve been waiting a long time for this and I didn’t want anything to get in the way. Although, why do you have strawberry flavoured condoms?” Kris said with a shrug, he had grabbed the condom that morning from Adam’s sock drawer having decided he was going to make his move.

Adam blushed admitting, “You like strawberries so I bought them when I was waiting for your plane to get in. I hoped that one day I’d see you kneeling in front of me, sucking my cock. Let’s move this to our room.”

Knowing their luck Danny would turn up whilst they were mid-fuck and have a heart attack and ruin the mood, Kris stood taking Adam’s hand and leading the way to their bedroom. He always smiled when he thought of their bedroom; never had the name of a room filled him with such elation. Once in the bedroom, Adam walked to the foot of the bed and waited for Kris to make the first move, it was Kris’s show for now.

Kris said lowly, “Strip for me, I want to see all of you,”

Adam smiled wickedly and removed his clothes with tantalising slowness, noticing how Kris was unconsciously clenching his fists as through restraining himself from reaching out and touching. When all he had left was his boxers, Adam froze as Kris stalked his way towards him.

“They are mine to take off,” Kris instructed with a smirk before pulling them down, marvelling at the glorious sight of Adam’s cock.

Smiling Kris commanded, “Lie down on your back, I want to taste every inch of you.”

Adam quickly did as ordered, loving the bossy Kris that had suddenly appeared, it made a nice change from his usual sexual encounters when he was the one in control. Hearing the condom getting opened, Adam’s moaned in anticipation. After what seemed like days, he felt hesitant hands on his cock before it was smoothly encased in latex. He exclaimed in shock at the slow licks to the head of his cock, whimpering when Kris’s mouth moved away.

Kris was amazed at how easy it was for him to lick Adam’s cock, he had feared that he would tense up and ruin everything but now he couldn’t imagine it ever happening. Pulling off his clothes as quickly as possible, he moved to the bed and hungrily stared at Adam’s body, offered up to him to do with what he wished, Kris had never felt more aroused, amazed and humbled in his life. Getting onto the bed, he moved to squat across Adam’s legs, mindful of Adam’s still injured ribs. He bent and slowly started kissing his way down Adam’s body starting at his bewitching jaw line, noticing the ardent moans and shivers caused by just kissing Adam’s belly button, Kris licked around it. Seeing Adam was on the edge, Kris stopped his delicious torment and moved down to Adam’s throbbing cock. Moving until he was kneeling between Adam’s legs, Kris reached out and slowly stroked it.

Kris kissed his way down the cock, the taste of strawberries was pleasant, but he wanted to taste Adam. Kris’s mind raced with thoughts as his tongue laved his lover’s cock; amazed at how right it felt to be giving so much pleasure to Adam. He had expected to feel unsure of what to do but he wasn’t, he knew Adam would not force him to do more than he felt comfortable with. It made him feel so powerful and sexy to know Adam was losing control because of him. Feeling bolder, Kris clamped his mouth around the leaking cock and started moving his head up and down.

“God...yes, fuck...you’ve got an amazing mouth.” Adam moaned as Kris started moving quicker.

Adam fought his instincts to arch up into the delicious heat, not wanting to choke Kris. For someone who had never done this, Kris had an amazing mouth, what he lacked in technique he more than made up for in enthusiasm. As Kris hands started pumping his cock whilst his mouth moved, Adam knew he wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer. His supposed stamina had been obliterated as soon as Kris started sucking him.

“Don't stop, please don’t stop,” Adam begged hoarsely.

Adam opened his eyes, needing to see Kris sucking him, to see that what he had dreamed of for so long was truly happening. His eyes met Kris’s and suddenly he was coming, arching into the hot, wet mouth but Kris still sucked until Adam’s tremors subsided.

“Your mouth is going to kill me one day, baby boy,” Adam said brokenly as Kris moved up his body.

Staring into Kris’s nervous eyes, Adam pulled his head down and captured his amazingly talented lover’s lips with his own in a bruising kiss. He felt incredible; his whole body was burning with the need to take Kris into his mouth.

“Was that okay?” Kris asked worriedly.

Adam said honestly, “it was more than okay, Kris. It was fabulously, splendidly hot. I’ve never come so hard or so quickly.”

Seeing the pleased smirk on Kris face, Adam purred, “My turn, baby boy.”

Adam waited until Kris had stood up and pushed him back onto the bed whispering, “Time to make that phone call come true, lover.”

Adam quickly removed his condom, tying before throwing it over to the trashcan sitting by his bedside table. Walking back to the bed, Adam looked down at Kris and marvelled at the breathtaking sight. He adored Kris’s flushed skin, the way his body was lightly trembling.

Every word of the phone call was etched in his mind, Kris moaned desperately at what was going to happen. He didn’t know if he could hold on long enough for Adam to do everything he had described. Just making Adam come, watching as his beautiful eyes darkened with passion and hearing him scream as he came was enough to make Kris  come, he had only held on by pinching the base of his cock.

Adam slowly crawled up the bed, kissing Kris’s throat noticing his baby boy was swallowing convulsively, Adam smirked as he realised just how on edge his beautiful lover was, just at the very act of sucking him off. Reaching underneath the pillow, he pulled out a lemon-flavoured condom, he may not have been a boy scout, but he had the motto down pat.

Adam slowly ran his nails down Kris chest, joy filling him at the resulting marks tinged with disappointment that they could not be deep enough to last more than a couple of hours until they had finished the show promotion. He didn’t think Kris would be too happy to be photographed with scratches down his body. He pinched the erect nipples, just begging to be touched, laughing lowly as Kris gave a needy whimper and arched up.

“You like that, love?” Adam said as he looked up at Kris who was biting his lip to keep from screaming out demands to allow Adam to move at his own pace.

Licking his way down Kris’s body, Adam took note of each erogenous zone that was revealed to him so he knew just how to make Kris beg later. Reaching Kris’s hip, he nipped lightly seeing the pain made Kris’s cock throb, so his baby boy liked a little pain with his pleasure that fitted Adam’s tastes perfectly.

Finally, he got to Kris cock and took a moment to look at it, seeing how profusely it was leaking and knowing it wouldn’t take long for Kris to come. Adam could make this rough and quick, there was time for a slow, leisurely blowjob later. Tearing open the condom with his teeth, Adam smirked as he rolled it down Kris’s cock with his mouth, delighting in the way Kris hands fisted the covers.

Placing a slow, messy kiss to his lover’s cock, he stroked the hard cock with a slowness that had Kris begging for more in a husky whisper. Opening his mouth, he worked his way down the hard length, until his mouth reached Kris’s pubic hair, his hand never ceasing its teasing strokes. He smirked as he felt Kris trembling at his touch, he loved loved being able to reduce Kris to a quivering, whimpering mass.

Suddenly, Kris hands moved to his head as the man demanded, “Stop teasing me! Fuck me with your mouth, Adam. Suck me harder, quicker. I need to come....so much. Please, please don’t stop, baby!”

One hand on Kris’s hips to give him complete control, Adam moaned as the hard, leaking cock filled his mouth. He adored how his jaw was aching from how wide his mouth was spread as he hungrily sucked on Kris's large cock, he loved how at times it was almost choking him. Adam’s whole world was focused on the cock thrusting into his mouth; all he could feel was Kris in him and around him, it was divine. His ears were filled with hot, wet, sucking sounds as Kris fucked his mouth, accompanied by a symphony of beautiful gasps, whimpers, and moans.

 “I'm going to come, Adam.” Kris warned seconds before he came, still thrusting into the tight heat of Adam’s talented mouth.

“Wow,” Kris said minutes later when he had regained the power of speech, for a few seconds his world had greyed out.

Adam grinned in satisfaction as he moved to lie next to Kris, wanting to lie there enjoying, the afterglow until his body regained the ability to move. He knew it might take a while but since they didn’t have to be anywhere for a while, it was okay.

*******  
With grins at each other Adam and Kris languidly dressed, feeling calmer than they had in weeks. It didn’t matter what would happen in the coming weeks, they would still be together. Kris was still amazed at how he had made Adam fall apart at his first attempt at a blowjob, he had feared it would be a disaster but it wasn’t. Kris’s confidence was buoyed by the way Adam had reacted, he had enjoyed having Adam in his mouth.

“Ready to go, baby boy.”

Nodding at his lover's question Kris said, “I guess so, I wish we could stay like this forever.” 

The pair walked out of the bedroom holding hands, both still overwhelmed that they had finally made love to each other. Arriving at the kitchen, Kris grabbed a bottle of water and threw another to Adam. They both drank hungrily, eyes still on each other. Looking at the clock, Kris realised they only had half an hour before they had to leave for the studio. Kris was struck by the realisation of how difficult it would be to let go of Adam’s hand, he had never felt so connected to someone else after having have sex with them. They walked into the living room and just snuggled together on the sofa in front of the TV, not caring what was on. As Adam stroked his hair, Kris’s head dropped onto Adam’s shoulder feeling as though he had everything he could ever want.

As his watch beeped its five-minute warning that they would be getting picked up soon, Kris stood first and walked over to the mirror to make sure he looked presentable. He grinned at Adam as the man pulled a comb out of his jacket pocket and quickly brushed his hair.

Putting his sunglasses on Adam pressed a quick kiss to Kris mouth before leading the way out, already anticipating coming back to the mansion. Smiling at his minder waiting by the car for him, Adam got in first and once Kris was inside the car, pulled his partner to him delighting in the way Kris just relaxed into him. He was pleased that since Robbie knew about them, he was free to be affectionate with Kris when he wanted to without their relationship being broadcast to the world before they were ready.

At their destination, Kris arrived opened the door and led the way out of the car, waving at the assembled screaming fans. He smiled when Adam got out of the car and the screaming increased to almost deafening levels, he could understand why everyone loved his beautiful, gorgeous, kind and incredible partner. He grinned as they walked into the studio, heading straight for the rehearsal area both feeling the buzz that only came from performing start to form in the base of their spine. Kris just knew the night was going to be amazing.

*******

After the show had finished taping Kris was buzzing, pleased at how everyone had responded to his version of Heartless. He had never told Adam but he had been worried that moving so far from the original arrangement would cause people to immediately dismiss it as strange.

Adam had been amazing singing Crying, the move of Adam’s hips as he prowled the stage had caused Kris to harden instantly. He had banished it by thinking of Danny Gokey naked, it had worked immediately and left him feeling slightly nauseous.

As Kara approached to offer her wisdom after the show had finished taping, Kris smiled at her in greeting whilst Adam walked over having just finished talking to Ryan.

“Sorry about that, I had to catch up with Ry. My brother has invited us out for dinner, want to go?” Adam said as he reached Kris side at the same moment as Kara.

Kara raised an eyebrow at the knowledge that the pair were close to the presenter since strictly speaking contestants weren’t supposed to get close to any of the judges or presenters. She didn’t have a problem with it, it wasn’t as if they had ever used their relationship with Ryan to garner attention or get an advantage but she knew other people might not feel the same way.

“Don’t worry about it. Sure, it’ll be nice to meet him,” Kris said already anticipating the reaction from Adam’s brother, since Adam had said the man was very protective.

Kara smiled saying sincerely, “You were both great tonight and it looked like you really enjoyed it. Even if you both don’t make the final, you are both amazing and will have long, successful careers. Leaving the competition now wouldn’t be the end for either of you.”

“Thanks, now we better get going. We’ll see you tomorrow.” Adam said seriously before glancing at Kris saying, “Come on, honey. Neil gets in an awful mood if he’s kept waiting too long, the man seriously needs to relax.”

Kris nodded and followed his partner out with a quick wave goodbye at the judges he could see, not noticing the look of realisation on Kara’s face.

Kara looked at the backs of the men as they left the room, all of a sudden seeing the rumours were true. She couldn’t imagine Kris being so accepting of being called honey if it wasn’t the case, not to mention she hadn’t heard Adam refer to anyone else by the endearment. There was also the matter of the missing wedding ring, which she had dismissed knowing that some people didn’t always wear their wedding bands. Seeing Paula nearby, Kara debated if she should speak to her, knowing the woman would do her best to help protect the couple from exposure. Deciding it wasn’t her place to inform the woman of the relationship, Kara walked out of the room already making plans to speak to Adam and Kris about keeping their relationship on the quiet until the competition was finished in case it stopped people from voting for them.

*******

“So this is the man who thinks he can date my brother?” Neil said looking Kris over once they were sitting down in a secluded part of the restaurant.

Kris glared answering curtly, “No, this is the man who loves your brother and will be with him even if you don’t like it. You may be Adam’s brother but that’s not going to scare me. I love Adam, even if you don’t accept it, Adam does and that’s all I care about.”

“So have you told your parents about how you feel for my brother?” Neil asked accusingly.

Kris snarled, “Of course, I told my parents and brother as soon as I got the chance. I also asked my wife for a divorce the night after I told Adam how I felt and we shared our first kiss. I am not going to keep our relationship a secret, it would destroy both us and I love Adam too much to make him hurt.”

Knowing how much Kris could hurt his brother Neil said coldly, “As a straight guy; how do you know that being with a man won’t be too much for you, Kris? Are you ready for the changes it will bring to your world? My brother is insatiable according to some of his previous lovers, can you deal with getting fucked by him or fucking him? How does he know you won’t freak out?”

“Neil, watch your fucking mouth! That’s my partner you are taking to and our sex life is nothing to do with you.” Adam said warningly, if his brother continued in this vein, they would be leaving.

Adam would not let anyone patronise Kris, not even his brother. Just because he had always told Neil everything about his previous relationships and the man had always been his first port of call whenever anything was wrong, didn’t mean his brother could try to drive Kris away.

“It’s alright, babe.” Kris said reassuringly whilst placing a hand on Adam’s now clenched fist.

Staring Neil down Kris coolly retorted, “Just accept that you are not going to scare me away, Adam and I are together.”

Holding his hands up, Neil dryly commented, “He’s a real spitfire, Adam. What is with your penchant for passionate, protective men?”

Looking at Kris, Neil calmly said, “That’s good enough for me. Just a little something to bear in mind, I'll destroy you in every way if you hurt my brother. This is your only warning.”

"Fair enough,” Kris said with a shrug.

“Now the threats are over, can we eat?” Adam said with a laugh.

After giving their orders, the three fell into a companionable silence as Neil examined Kris in an attempt to see what it was that made the man so attractive to Adam. On a purely physical level, the man was attractive, although Adam had been out with men who were far more stunning. Four months ago, Adam had said that he wanted more than brief hook-ups and relationships; he wanted something tangible with someone he was head over heels in love with.   
  
Neil had known as soon as his brother had come back from Hollywood week that Kris Allen was important to Adam, his brother had blabbered on about him far more than he had expected given the short amount of time they spent together. After a lot of nagging and alcohol Adam had confessed, he was attracted to Kris but had insisted that would soon change. Throughout the course of the competition, Adam had called Neil worried because his attraction and feelings for Kris were rapidly evolving into love. Neil had warned his brother to stop spending so much time with Kris, if he was falling in love with the straight man but Adam had confessed that he would rather be in pain and around Kris than be away from him. Neil had felt like crying at that confession, knowing his brother had finally found the love he always wanted but would never have it returned.

*******

“That wasn’t too bad, baby boy.” Adam decided as he got into bed, taking off his underwear now that they had actually seen each other naked.

“Sure, if you ignore the death threats. Your parents aren’t going to be that bad, right?” Kris said, his voice sounding slightly desperate to his own ears.

Adam casually admitted, “My dad is pretty easy going, my mom not so much. If anything is going to threaten to eviscerate you, it’ll be her. Don’t worry, I'll make sure they don’t traumatise you too much.”

Kris had never thought the biggest problem with telling their families about their relationship would be how Adam’s family felt about him. The gleam in Neil’s eyes had told Kris that the man had been serious in his threats but remembering what Adam had confided about his previous relationships it was understandable. Neil was terrifying in his own way, he could only imagine what Adam’s mother would be like. He knew it would be okay once Adam’s family realised he was serious and wouldn’t abandon his partner when the realities of coming out hit home.

Kicking his boxers off, Kris grinned as he got into bed, moving as close to Adam as possible. Nothing could compare to the feeling of Adam’s body against his, he felt all at once, cherished, safe and aroused. They were too exhausted to make love, the long day of performances and the draining encounter with Neil was enough to make them want nothing more than to sleep.

The next day Adam woke up alone, he quickly looked around for Kris, stopping his search at the sound of singing coming from the bathroom. A mischievous smile on his face Adam got out of bed and silently made his way to the bathroom. At the sight of Kris standing in the shower, head thrown back as he washed off the shampoo, Adam moaned lustfully. Opening the shower door, Adam walked in and seeing Kris’s hard cock jutting out, quickly fell to his knees as Kris looked down.

Staring into his lover’s eyes Adam quickly moved his hands to the hard cock before just teasing the tip with his tongue, at the desperate moan he slowly started moving his mouth further down slowly. As the moaning increased and Kris’s fingers were threading through his hair, he started bobbing his head faster and faster. Feeling the telltale throb that Kris was about to come, Adam sucked harder until his lover came, filling his mouth. Adam spat the liquid out into the shower and they watched as it was drained away.

“My turn,” Kris whispered heatedly.

Standing up Adam said regretfully, “Baby boy, I’d love that but we’ll be late.”

Knowing his partner was right Kris picked up the sponge and shower gel, gently starting to wash Adam’s beautiful skin. As he washed off the soap, Kris took the chance to pepper soft kisses along Adam’s torso. Finally reaching Adam’s cock, Kris washed it gently before taking it into his hands and gently stroking at first before increasing the speed of his thrusts and the tightness of his grip. He felt Adam stiffen before the man came, falling forward slightly until he was flush against Kris. After cleaning up the evidence of the morning exercise, Kris got out the shower, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist and passing another to Adam. Moving to the bathroom sink, they brushed their teeth side by side.

Towel clad, the couple walked back into their bedroom and quickly dressed. Once dressed and knowing how long Adam would take to get his hair just right, Kris quickly tidied up the bedroom. It didn’t take long, so he just sat on the bed and watched as Adam put on the purple eyeliner they had bought together, noticing how it complimented Adam’s eyes. Adam had applied a thin line of it under a thicker line of black liner.

With a wide grin Adam announced, “Now I'm looking fabulously beautiful as normal, we can go and face breakfast with Danny.”

Standing Kris casually said, "You always look gorgeous.”

“You’re just saying that to get me into bed,” Adam said knowingly.

“Yep, is it working?”

 “Of course, baby boy. Who could resist compliments from such a dashing man!” Adam said melodramatically as they made their way upstairs.

Part 10

As the property pages in the newspaper caught his attention, Kris realised they had never discussed their living arrangements after the show. He had assumed they would be living in Adam’s current home rather than getting somewhere new together but what if Adam didn't want to?

“Adam, are we living at your place once the show’s over?” Kris questioned.

As he placed the last of the chopped fruit into two bowls Adam said carefully, “I kinda assumed so, don’t you want to?”

Kris reassured quickly, “I want to; I just wanted to make sure it’s okay. I didn’t want you to think that I was invading your space or anything.”

Adam said confused, “Baby boy, we’re already living together so why would I be upset or suddenly think you are invading my space? I love living with you.”

“I was just worried,” Kris said with a shrug.

“You have nothing to worry about, I would tell you if something was wrong.” Adam said as he placed the bowls on the table.

Kris smiled as he placed a quick kiss on Adam’s cheek before starting to eat the fruit salad Adam had prepared. Kris wasn’t particularly hungry but Adam has insisted they needed to eat before they left the house.

********

Kris smiled widely as he walked out of the house, one hand holding Adam’s and the other holding a pair of sunglasses. He was feeling incredibly relaxed considering it was a results day but since the amazing blow job he felt as though he was floating.

“Where are you going today, gentlemen?” Robbie asked leaning against the car and looking at his charges. Unlike the other minders who were only on duty during taping or American Idol staged events, he was on duty whenever Adam was in public.

“We’re going to chill in WeHo so you can have a wonderful hassle free day without us,” Adam announced knowing they were unlikely to be hassled by homophobes.

Robbie nodded knowing it was probably easier for the couple to walk around West Hollywood than other parts of LA. His duty was to protect Adam, and by extension Kris; but he could see the reasoning behind allowing them to spend time alone. He would have hated to be in their position, not being able to spend any time with his lover without being accompanied by a minder.

“Okay, I will have my phone and pager with me at all times. If you start to feel at all threatened or uncomfortable contact me,” Robbie instructed.

“Thanks. We’re getting a cab so we’ll see you at the studio tonight,” Adam said with a grin.

Robbie nodded and watched with a wide grin as the couple walked out of the grounds with their arms brushing together as if they wanted to walk down the streets holding hands.

*******

Getting out of the cab, Kris looked at his partner noticing how relaxed Adam was in West Hollywood. He was pleased that Adam had this city available to him and resolved to make sure they spent a large amount of time in the area in the future.

Kris asked, “Where do you want to go first, Adam?”

Adam shrugged answering, “I don’t mind. We’ve got to go to Zeke’s Smokehouse for lunch, the barbecue may not be as good as in Arkansas, but it is the best I’ve found in LA.”

Kris smiled at Adam’s thoughtfulness; months ago he had mentioned how much he missed the comfort food from home and couldn't believe Adam remembered.

Adam said thoughtfully, “We can wander around for a little. We have to go to the Beverly Center mall it is a sort of gay Mecca with lots of different stores. We can go to the Museum of Contemporary Art West, if you want. I love it and it will give you a chance to relax when you’re all shopped out, I know how annoying I can be to shop with.”

Kris nodded in agreement, “That’s sounds good and you are not annoying when you shop, just focused. How about we have a quick look around here, go to MOCA, have lunch and head to the Beverly Center mall? I like shopping with you, it is an adventure.”

“That’s one way to describe it. Let’s get started then,” Adam said placing a quick arm around the younger man’s shoulder and turning him around so they would be heading in the right direction.

Kris followed Adam’s lead it was great to spend time with Adam, just strolling around the city without having to worry about a schedule. Kris just hoped they wouldn’t be photographed, wanting Adam to have the dramatic coming out they had planned. His partner was so excited at the thought of coming out on live TV and Kris wouldn’t let anything stop it from happening.

*******

Hearing the distinctive sound of Adam’s phone, Kris looked up from his perusal of the shelves at Circus of Books, pleased that Adam had suggested visiting the book emporium known for its gay and lesbian sections. Adam had whispered there were a number of books he had found useful when coming out that he wanted Kris to have a look at. Kris was shocked when Adam casually commented that he had been online and found some new ones aimed at gay men who realised their sexuality after being married to a woman. Kris knew it was Adam’s way of helping without pressurising him.

Looking closer he picked a book that looked like it would be useful, ‘Just Tell the Truth: Questions Families Ask When Gay Married Men Come Out’ by Terry L. Norman. He wasn’t sure how useful it would be now that he had told his immediate family about his relationship with Adam. Deciding that they would probably have more questions once they had processed everything, Kris added the book to the growing pile in his arms.  

Kris nodded when Adam gestured that he was going outside, watching Adam walk outside seemingly ignoring the appraising looks he was receiving. Knowing his lover would tell him about the phone call if it was important, Kris quickly moved to the music section. Picking up a music history book and a book of sheet music, he added them to the pile.

“Hi, they are some great books. So do you play guitar?”

Kris was pulled from his daydreams by a low southern twang male voice coming from his left. He looked up to see a bronzed, redhead man with a wide grin looking at his face. Kris smiled politely, beginning to feel uncomfortable by the continuous staring.

“I know you from somewhere, right?” The stranger said with an engaging smile.

“No idea,” Kris said with a shrug, hoping the man would get the hint and leave him alone.

Kris smirked when he heard the familiar sound of Adam coughing impatiently as the strange man turned and swallowed nervously.

“You ready to go?” Adam asked his partner with a suggestive smile.

“You’re on American Idol! I love you, you sound amazing and those pants you wear are sex personified! It’s Adam, right?” The man squeaked with a coy smile as he looked at Adam, ignoring Kris who was looking on in amusement.

“Thanks, man.” Adam replied with a sincere smile, always happy to meet a fan even if that fan was hitting on his partner.

The redhead begged earnestly, “Can you sign something for me? Make it out to Eric!”

“Sure, what do you want me to sign?” Adam said, taking out the marker that he now carried at all times.

“Er....you can sign this!” Eric replied holding out a music sheet for Nickelback’s Too Bad.

Adam nodded and signed the piece of paper before saying, “I’ve got to go but thanks for watching.”

Seeing he was in the way, Eric nodded and moved back to allow Kris to get past. He knew there was something familiar about the brunette he had been hitting on but he couldn’t work out what.

“That was my mom on the phone, she wants to meet you.” Adam said seriously.

Kris nodded, “That’s good. Any idea when?”

“Yeah, tonight before the results. She had wanted to make it after the results but I convinced her otherwise.” Adam said softly, knowing his mom had been a bit upset but he and Kris has developed a post results show routine that he didn’t want to change.

By the time the contestants had been whittled down to the final ten, Adam and Kris had developed their own post results show ritual. First, they would go and have something to eat with whoever got eliminated, which was normally over by eleven at the latest. Once back at the mansion, Adam and Kris went to their room, changed into their nightwear before stretching out on one of their beds talking. One of them, normally Kris would get tired so they would get into their respective beds and lie there talking about everything. Even after they got their own bedrooms, they kept most of their ritual intact. The only difference being that they didn’t chat in bed as they fell asleep. They often talked until two or three a.m., their subjects ranging from clothing to music to their dreams, hopes and fears.

“Oh, okay. She’s not really as bad as you said, right?” Kris asked needing some reassurance.

“She can be but she will soon see what an amazingly beautiful, charming, elegant, and talented man you are.” Adam said reassuringly. He knew that his mom would quickly see just how perfect Kris was for him and how happy he was.

*******

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Kris whispered nervously, ignoring the amusement in Adam’s eyes.

Adam grinned, “My mom has asked to meet you and you don’t argue with my mom when she uses that tone. Just don’t be too nervous and it’ll stop you worrying about the show. Smile and be prepared for some weird questions.”

Kris rolled his eyes at Adam’s suggestion, there was no way he could be anything but nervous about meeting them. He knew Adam was close to his mom and was terrified that if she didn’t like him it would put a lot of strain on his and Adam’s relationship.

Adam knocked on his parents’ hotel room door, pleased that his mom had made the overture about meeting Kris. His mom was always the most critical one when he had brought his last two serious boyfriends home. One ex, Tom, had even remarked on the way back to his apartment that he didn’t know how Adam could be so warm and loving with his harridan of a mother. Needless to say, Tom hadn’t been very happy when Adam had kicked him out of the car but what had the man expected after insulting his mom? He hadn’t seen Tom since that night, breaking up with the man by phone.

“Hey son, come on in.” Eber said with welcoming smile, he saw how Kris was holding onto Adam’s hand as though it was only thing keeping him from bolting.

Just hours earlier, Eber had called Neil to find out what his son had managed to find out about Kris on a mission spearheaded by Leila in an attempt to protect Adam. She had insisted Neil should be the first one to meet Kris since he would be more relaxed about meeting his boyfriend’s brother than his parents. Neil had told them that Kris was passionate but apparently annoyed by people making the assumption that he couldn’t deal with having a male lover.

“Dad, this is my partner, Kris Allen.” Adam said with a wide grin.

Shaking the offered had Kris found himself relaxing at the welcoming smile saying, “It’s nice to meet you, Mr Lambert.”

“Likewise and you can call me Eber. Adam said that you write your own songs, do they take long?” Eber said trying to find a way to make Kris relax.

Kris shrugged, “Sometimes it can be done in a matter of hours and sometimes it can take weeks to find something that just fits. It’s hard to describe really, sometimes I don’t know if a song is complete until I hear it again.”

“I get what you mean. There’s no need to look so scared, I'm the nice one. Do you want a drink?” Eber said pleased to see that talking about music had slightly relaxed Kris.

“Some water would be good,” Kris said softly, worried about just how bad Adam’s mom was if her own ex-husband who was supposedly one of her best friends said he was the nice one.

“Let’s sit down,” Adam suggested with a comforting smile.

Adam led the way to the sofa and pulled on Kris’s hand for the man to sit down next to him. He squeezed it to let his lover know that he was there and they would deal with any apprehensions his parents had about their relations together.

“So what are your plans for the future?” Eber asked Kris, mentally smiling at how Kris had practically melted into Adam’s side.

Kris said softly, “On a personal level, I want to be with Adam. I don’t care where we are so long as we are together. Career wise, I want to have a successful music career.”

“If Adam wins the competition, will that change your feelings for him?” Eber asked bluntly.

“DAD!” Adam said angry that his father could ask such a question. He knew his parents were looking out for him but that was a very insulting question.

“It’s cool, love.” Kris reassured his partner before answering, “Of course it won’t change anything. Regardless of who wins the competition, we will both have successful careers. To be honest, I accepted a long time ago that I probably wouldn’t win, I can’t out sing Adam and he’s got that unique factor.”

Shaking his head at the assumption Adam said shrugging, “You appeal to more people. I don’t fit into a safe little category and that’ll probably freak people out. I'm a square peg in a round hole and people don’t like square pegs, especially ones that get in their faces.”

“Who cares what bigots like that think, you are wonderful as you are.” A woman said as she walked into the room.

Adam smiled widely and let go of Kris to quickly walk over the room and give his mom a big hug. He had missed her, it wasn’t the same talking to her over the phone and having rushed visits but he had known being part of the show meant sacrificing some of your personal time. He was happy to do it if it meant he could have the career that he had dreamed of since he was a child. Now his deepest desire had been fulfilled, he had Kris in his life as the partner, lover and confidante he had always wanted. He had brought his music to people and he had a shot at a record contract.

Walking over to Kris, Adam pulled him up before wrapping an arm around his waist saying possessively, “Mom, this is my Kris. He’s amazing in every way and I love him.”

Leila could see that Adam was devoted to Kris and she could count the men Adam had brought to meet the family on one hand but did that mean Kris had a place in Adam’s life or in their family? Leila looked Kris and saw the man who had come out of nowhere to break her son’s heart and she couldn’t let that happen. She had been there to see how destroyed Adam had been when he had involved with a married straight man before, it had only been for six months but that was enough to make her vow that Adam would never be in that situation again. She would do anything to protect her son, even from himself if necessary.

Kris smiled saying sincerely, “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs Lambert. Adam’s been talking about you. Adam said that you would have some embarrassing baby photos of him. I’d love to see them; my mom is going through our photo albums for my really embarrassing baby pictures to show him.”

“I will have a look later. Adam, why don’t you and your dad go talk? Kris and I can get to know each other,” Leila said brightly

Reassuring Adam with a glance and a hand on his knee, Kris watched as father and son left the room. Smiling cheerfully Kris waited for the interrogation to commence. Leila was smiling at him but in a cold manner, apparently she taken an instant dislike to him and he really didn’t know he was going to make her like him.

Leila moved to look Kris Allen in the eyes saying frostily, “Let me make one clear, Kristopher Allen, I don’t trust you or the relationship you have with my son. I like you as a friend for Adam but not as a partner. You have known each other for a long time and you never once questioned your feelings for Adam. Now just a matter of weeks before the finale, you have decided that you love him. It doesn’t wash with me,  I will not let you use Adam’s feeling for you to give you an advantage on the show.”

Angry at the accusation but knowing he couldn’t mention it to Adam, Kris said seriously, “I love Adam with every fibre of my being. I did not know how I felt for him until recently. His attack, our performance and the help of a good friend made me realise my feelings. Just because it took me a while to realise my feelings doesn’t make them any less sincere.”

Leila sighed saying, “Fine, you have my blessing to date him but I will be watching you. The second you mess up, I will be advising my son to end your relationship.”

Bemused at the warning and begrudging acceptance from the woman Kris nodded in agreement, surprised at how quickly the cold look disappeared from her face.

There was a knock on the door seconds before it was open with a key card and Adam walked in with his dad. Kris smiled in relief at seeing Adam, wanting some time to relax with Adam away from everyone else before they had to start taping. Looking into Adam’s eyes, Kris was pleased to see his own needs reflected back at him.

“Mom, Dad, I'm sorry but we’ve got to go. We need to get ready for filming.” Adam said apologetically, moving to give each of his parents a hug before grabbing Kris’s hand.

“Okay, we’ll speak to you tomorrow. You boys should spend tonight celebrating.”

Kris smiled at Eber’s words, pleased that at least Adam’s dad seemed to like him. He just hoped that in time Leila would as well, he knew it would upset his partner if the two of them didn’t get along.

*******

As Adam came to join him in the coveted seating area, Kris felt like he was going to explode with happiness. He had hoped that he would make it into the finale with Adam but deep down he had thought it was a pipedream. Kris tuned out the sound of Danny singing and placed an arm around Adam, pulling his partner close to him. He needed to touch Adam, to know that this was really happening.

“Cameras, lovebirds!” Ryan hissed, not reacting when the couple stopped touching each other and pretended to listen to Danny.

As soon as the cameras were switched off, Adam looked at Kris and couldn’t resist the need to pull his lover closer. He smiled when Kris’s face fell into his neck and shivered slightly as he felt Kris’s breath against his skin. They were brought back to the real world by Ryan pointedly clearing his throat causing them to break their hug with a sigh. Still standing as close to Adam as possible, Kris looked at Ryan to find out what he wanted.

“Try not to fuel any more rumours,” Ryan said a hint of laughter in his voice tinged with envy.

Ryan admired how they didn’t care about PDAs letting people know about their relationship before they were ready. Ryan would bet his last dollar that they would be coming out soon since Adam had confided he would not go back into the closet for anyone. Ryan only wished that he could be so free with Simon, not having to worry about people catching them. Ryan knew it wouldn’t happen anytime soon. They had talked about coming out shortly after starting their relationship, a couple of months after Idol started, agreeing that it would damage their careers so they would have to stay in the closet, at the time Simon was trying to make Idol a success and Ryan just been catapulted into television.

“You okay there, Ry?” Adam asked worriedly seeing a flash of pain in his friend’s eyes.

“Yeah, I'll make excuses for you if you want to sneak out,” Ryan said with a grin at the barely contained excitement in Adam’s posture.

Kris sighed in regret, “We’ve got the press horde to get to, I don’t think anyone would believe it if one of us suddenly got ill.”

“Hey, I'll have you know that I can BS with the best of them,” Ryan said indignantly.

“I'm sure you can but save it until it’s really needed.” Adam said dryly. 

Ryan nodded asking, “I guess you’re right. So how are you going to celebrate?”

Eyes glazing over as he thought about celebrating with Kris by fucking until they were unable to move, Adam gave a safe answer, “We’ll probably have a joint family meal, get the whole meet the family thing over at once.”

“As for the rest, I wouldn’t want to traumatise your innocent ears,” Kris said with a smirk.

Adam looked at his lover, shocked at how playful he was being and loving the spark of naughtiness in Kris’s eyes. He loved that Kris was relaxing in front of Ryan, clearly starting to think of the man a friend. Spying Robbie walking over, Adam smiled at the man amused at how the minder was watching the crowd of people.

“Apparently, you’re due for a press conference in five minutes,” Robbie said, his displeasure at being used as a messenger evident in his voice.

“Let’s go and meet our ever so adoring press,” Adam said with a smirk.

“Right,” Kris said with a nod, he just wanted to go back to mansion and lie in Adam’s arms.

*******

Lying in bed with Kris’s head on his chest and arm around his waist, Adam had never felt so serene and happy. It was amazing to think that by this time next week one of them would be crowned the 2009 American Idol and have a signed contract. Adam wasn’t worried about which of them won since he was sure that they would both have successful careers in music.

“Kris, do you think we would have fallen for each other if we hadn’t been roommates?”

Kris stopped to consider Adam’s slightly weird question, it was something he had never considered. The thought that he could never have fallen in love with Adam was incomprehensible.

Kris said thoughtfully, “I think we’d still fall in love, it just might have taken us longer. The connection between us is so strong; I know it couldn’t be denied. I still would have spent months annoying you whenever I needed someone for any reason.”

Adam said brightly, “Baby boy, you didn’t annoy me. Every time you came to me for any reason, I loved it because I got to spend time with you and I did my share of annoying you as well.”

“I can’t believe I'm in the final!” Kris said still bemused as to how it had happened.

Running his hands through Kris’s hair Adam said seriously, “You are in the final because you are a fantastic artist and the public can see it. You do know that you have as much of a chance of winning as I do, right? Our styles are so different that there is no way of comparing us.”

“Thanks, Sweetie,” Kris said softly, placing a kiss on Adam’s chest. 

Seeing the clock on Adam’s bedside table read 03:30, Kris groaned knowing they would have to be up at 07:30 meaning he would be tired and grumpy. It wasn’t unusual since every Thursday he and Adam woke up in a bad mood. Apparently, the other contestants had some sort of secret pact because every Thursday morning he and Adam were left alone. After the second week of this occurrence, Kris had mentioned it to Adam, who had smirked saying at least he didn’t have to put up with loud inane chatter and got to spend time with the hot one in the house.

Part 11

Tonight Is The Night America

By C James

Tonight is the final performance show of what has been one of the most controversial seasons of American Idol since the show hit our screens in 2002. The two male finalists are completely different personalities and artists. The first is early favourite glam rocker and stage veteran Adam Lambert. Adam is known for his unique twists on well-known songs, high notes and unique style. The second is acoustic rocker and college student Kris Allen. Underdog Kris is known for his laid-back attitude and his spin on Kanye West’s Heartless during the top three week.

The talented former roommates have been the subject of numerous rumours about the extent of their relationship. The rumours started after Adam Lambert was mugged and Kris Allen was pictured holding the man’s waist as he walked out of the hospital. Having had fractured ribs before I can say that they hurt a lot if they are knocked.

The pair did an amazing duet of Seether’s featuring Amy Lee’s Broken, skilfully reworking the arrangement. The pair courageously performed a very theatrical performance singing the words of the song to each other as if they were living the song. Some decried the performance as being explicit or homoerotic, something the Fox network venomously denies. This reporter has to admit that Simon was right; it was a performance that people will not forget.

The pair have said that they are not going to think of tonight as a competition against each other because regardless of who is crowned American Idol 2009, they are both winners to get this far. In this reporter’s opinion, regardless of wins, they will both have successful careers. Tomorrow the 2009 American Idol will be announced and it is up to you to decide who will be plucked from obscurity and have their dreams fulfilled.

*******

“Have you seen my belt?” Adam yelled as he searched the bedroom

“You’ve got loads; want to narrow it down for me?” Kris asked with a grin as he continued fixing his hair.

“The silver and red one I had on last night!” Adam said impatiently.

“On the banister, you hurled it there while ripping my clothes off,” Kris said amused.

“Oh yeah,” Adam said with a lustful laugh as he looked in the mirror, finally happy with his appearance.

Walking back into the bedroom Kris said in disbelief, “I can’t believe tonight is our last night of performing on the stage, our last night of getting judged...well that might be a good thing.”

“I'm sure Simon would be only too happy to critique your every performance if you want,” Adam said wryly.

Kris grinned, “Of course he would. Adam, I am terrified about tonight. The theatre is massive compared to the sound stage and the acoustics are different not to mention we will have a massive audience. It’s going to be a disaster when I mess up.”

Adam squeezed his lover’s hand saying, “Kris, you will not mess up and you sounded great in your rehearsals. The size of the audience doesn’t matter, they’re just people coming to hear you sing and that’s all you have to remember.”

“I guess you’re right. I was thinking that tomorrow...” Kris said quietly.

“Yeah?” Adam asked wanting to know what could be so worrying that Kris couldn’t come right out and say it.

Kris licked his lips before saying, “I want to that that last step, I want to feel your cock inside me, possessing me, making me feel amazing and totally yours.”

“Wow. You do realise that I'm not going to be able to think of anything else now,” Adam said with a smirk.

Kris laughed huskily, “You are not the only one, babe.”

Kris stared into Adam’s beautiful, intense, pure, aquamarine eyes and marvelled yet again, at how he had been lucky enough to have such an incredible man fall in love with him. He knew that he would have never been with Adam, if not for sweet, brave, wise, little Alison. She helped him get the one thing he needed more than anything – Adam. Kris knew there was no way he would ever be able to repay Alison for what she did but he would do his best.

“I love you, Adam.” Kris said realising he hadn’t said it that morning.

Adam smiled, “I love you too, baby boy. I don’t know whether to be excited or nervous about our parents meeting each other.”

“Personally, I’d say both but at least its lunch so we can make a quick getaway if needed.  Let’s get your belt and go,” Kris said as he led the way upstairs.

Grinning Adam had to admit his partner had made a good reason for making the joint family meal lunch, not that Kris had explained his decision at the time. For Adam this was a monumental event, he had met exes’ parents before but he had never been to a joint meeting the parents event. He knew it had a terrifying potential for disaster. Grabbing his customary sunglasses, Adam followed and quickly put on his belt, smirking when he saw the button from Kris’s jeans by the door.

Pulling Kris into a passionate embrace, Adam shivered at he felt his lover’s hands moving down his back. He loved the voracious sex kitten Kris had become since they had started their physical relationship; it was amazing how responsive Kris was to his touch and how quickly Kris had learnt just what turned him on.

As the couple got into the car Adam explained to Robbie that they were going to a joint family lunch and the most dangerous thing that could happen would be awkward silences and nervous laughs. Robbie reluctantly agreed to let his charges go to lunch without him but he would be nearby just in case.

Kris squeezed Adam’s hand as they pulled out of the driveway, not knowing if he was trying to reassure Adam or himself. Kris desperately wanted needed his parents to at least like Adam and his parents because he couldn’t deal with everyone at war with each other.

*******

Once everyone was sitting comfortably around the rectangular glass topped table, Adam smiled at Kris who was sitting opposite him and decided to get everything started. He knew Kris was worried about the meeting end up a disaster and wanted to get everything off on the right foot.

Adam said brightly, “Mom and dad, I want you to meet Kris’s parents Kimberley and Neil. Kimberley and Neil, these are my parents Leila and Eber.”

“Nice to meet you,” Leila said with a smile, ignoring her son’s worried look.

“You too and feel free to call me Kim. I must say Adam is a very nice and well-mannered boy. I can see he really loves Kris.”

“Mom,” Kris said, his face flushing with embarrassment.

“Hush, I'm only telling the truth.” Kim said with a grin.

Eber smiled at the compliment before saying gently, “We can say the same for Kris. I don’t want to intrude but if you can phone us if need to talk to about everything.”

Neil nodded saying, “Thank you. Now I guess we had better look at the menu so we can get the boys ready to blow America away.”

Kris looked at Adam who gave him a thumbs up and an all-is-right smile. Adam’s stunning smile was one of the first things to catch his attention when they first met. The smile had immediately made him smile back, it didn’t hurt that Adam had an air of serenity that made his fears about getting through the heats disappear.

As they ate, Kris had to admit it was going far better than he had imagined. He wouldn’t say that his and Adam’s parents had become firm friends or anything over the course of one meal but they seemed to at least like each other and that was enough for him. He hoped that since Leila seemed to like his parents, she might end up liking him or at least realising he wasn’t some monster out to break her son’s heart. Kris was relieved that at least Eber was supportive of his relationship with Adam; he just hoped that Leila would grow to like him.

Kris was touched by Eber’s offer to be there for his parents should they need to talk since he knew that his parents may have questions that could only be discussed with other parents who had been in the same position.

Hours later Kris looked at his watch before saying, “Sorry but we need to get going. Rehearsals wait for no one.”

After paying the bill, Adam led the way out of the hotel, grinning widely. The meal had been okay and there were only a few silences. He knew one of the problems was that they were in public and so everyone had to watch what they said. At least it was one less thing for Kris to worry about meaning Kris could give his performances his full attention.

*******

“I can’t believe you did that!” Adam said incredulously.

Kris grinned at the shock in his lover’s voice at his impulsive and risky move. He couldn’t resist calling Adam by his pet name when his lover nuzzled his ear and kissed his head during their filmed three-way hug with Paula. He didn’t know if the microphones had picked up his words but didn’t care since he was tired of hiding. He was disgusted that society was such that people had to hide in the first place simply because they had fallen for someone of their own gender. Even before had had fallen for Adam, he had felt disgusted about how society as a whole treated anyone who was different.

“Love, I'm sick of watching what I say to you or what I do with you in public.” Kris said wearily.

Taking his Kris’s hand and gently caressing it with his thumb Adam said softly, “We don’t have to do this for much longer, love. Just hold on one more day.”

“I can do that,” Kris said honestly.

As they walked out of the studio, Kris put one hand around Adam’s back knowing people wouldn’t find it weird since they had always been very physical with each other. He had noticed in the American Idol scrapbook his mom had been keeping that most of the photographs featuring the two of them had them touching each other in some way. It wasn’t until his mom had said that she had known he and Adam were really close going by her scrapbook that he realised how tactile he and Adam were regardless of being out in public.

Once they were in the car, Kris nestled against Adam feeling all of his anxiety about the finale disappear. He had learnt early on that Adam had an amazing ability for making him feel relaxed and at peace. Kris smiled remembering when everyone had realised that if he was feeling moody the only solution was to get Adam to bring him out of it.

-Flashback-

Kris sighed contentedly feeling all of his tension drain away as Adam massaged his neck. Kris’s day had been horrendous; he couldn’t get the song arrangement right, he had messed up the choreography for the group dance, and he feeling stifled inside the Idol bubble but Adam made it all fade away. With an easy smile, Adam had commented that Kris was looking a little stiff, quickly joking that it wasn’t the good kind of stiff before gently asking him to turn around. Feeling Adam stop the movement of those talented hands, Kris turned back to face the TV, head falling onto Adam’s shoulder. He smiled softly when Adam’s arm fell over his shoulders; Adam always seemed to know how to make everything better.

Hearing people approaching them, Kris looked up to find Michael Sarver, Matt, Megan, Anoop and Alison walking into the lounge. He smiled at them as they sat down, feeling too comfortable to move.

“Don’t you look like that cat that got the cream,” Megan said brightly to Kris.

“You look a lot better. At least we don’t have to walk on eggshells around you,” Alison said with a grin.

“I feel a lot better. You can thank Adam for getting rid of moody Kris,” Kris answered with a quick, affectionate look at Adam.

“You should be careful, Kris.” Michael Sarver said calmly.

Kris narrowed his eyes at the seemingly friendly tone, taking in how the man was looking at Adam with a strange mix of anger and hate. He felt Adam’s body tense, it was only a minuscule change but he was used to reading Adam’s body language.

Making a concerted effort to control himself Kris asked, “Why?”

“Your choice of friends says a lot about you. If you are friends with someone who has made some corrupt choices, people will think you are the same. Sleeping with someone of your own sex is immoral.” Michael replied, pointedly looking at Adam who had announced his sexuality when they all moved into the mansion.

Eyes glinting dangerously Kris snarled, “My choice of friends has nothing do to with you and I don’t care what people think or say about Adam and I. You are nothing compared to Adam, you don’t even deserve to breathe the same air as him. If you ever talk about him like that again, I will make you wish that you had never been born.”

Feeling Adam rubbing his neck softly, Kris felt some of his anger dissipate but he would not forget Sarver’s attitude. Needing to escape before he punched Sarver, Kris stood and looked at Adam surprised at the awe in those expressive eyes.

“Let’s go to our room, Adam. We can get started on your guitar lessons.” Kris said calmly, knowing he couldn’t be in that room any longer or he would punch Sarver.

“Sure, honey.” Adam said with an easy smile, awed that Kris was so passionately protecting him.

Adam and Kris left the room in silence, neither looking back at Sarver. Kris couldn’t believe how Adam was able to just ignore such malicious words; it spoke of a terrible amount of experience with such hatred. Kris couldn’t do anything about the verbal abuse Adam had been subjected to in the past but he could prevent it happening again. No one would talk about Adam like that while he was around.

 -End Flashback-

As they walked into the mansion Adam purred, “Go and get changed. I'll meet you in the lounge. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

Seeing the mischievous sparkle in Adam’s eyes, Kris did as requested. Running down to the bedroom, he got a quick wash before changing into his boxers and going back upstairs. Walking into the lounge, he found candles around the room and a selection of strawberries, orange slices, pears and raspberries splayed around a plate in the middle of which was a bowl of melted chocolate.

“Like it, love?” Adam asked huskily as he walked up and hugged Kris from behind.

Turning to face his lover Kris said honestly, “This is amazing. What’s all this for?”

Adam shrugged, “We haven’t had a real movie night date and we need to relax. Now we have two films to watch, Once and August Rush. August Rush is a kinda fairy tale drama about an orphaned musical prodigy who uses his music to help him find his birth parents. The music is good and it’s a great feel good film. I thought we could watch August Rush first, if that’s okay?””

“This is perfect,” Kris said as they sat down on the sofa.

Adam switched on the DVD whilst dipping an orange slice into the chocolate and slowly feeding it to Kris. Kris smirked as he took the offered fruit before grabbing hold of Adam’s hand, sucking the chocolate from Adam’s fingers, delighting in the resulting hiss of pleasure.

*******

“Come on, sleepyhead,” Adam said fondly as he gently stroked Kris’s hair.

Sometime during the second movie, Kris had moved so that he was lying down with his head on Adam’s lap. Adam had simply started carding his hands through the soft, brown hair, smiling widely when he heard Kris start to snore. He was content to just sit there with Kris so he had lowered the television and changed to a news channel. Now it was two a.m. and he had to get to bed or else he would be in a bitchy mood the next day.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, we just need to get to bed. Have you brushed your teeth, love?”

“Yeah,” Kris said as he sleepily stood up.

Adam gently guided Kris down the stairs, thinking how cute and adorable sleepy Kris was. Once in the bedroom, Adam quickly pulled back the covers and gently told Kris to lie down.

“Where...you...going?” Kris asked falteringly.

“I'm just doing my teeth, love. I won’t be a minute,” Adam said sincerely before rushing to the bathroom to do just that.

When Adam got back to the bedroom, Kris patted the empty space on the bed next to him. Adam got into bed and lay down, smiling softly when Kris moved closer.

“I love my Adam,” Kris said with a yawn.

“And I love my Kris,” Adam said honestly before saying, “Go to sleep, baby boy, we’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

Adam was apprehensive about the next day since it promised to be full of drama. First thing, they had an appointment with Kris’s divorce lawyer followed by gruelling rehearsals for that night’s performances. They mostly had to rehearse the group numbers, which would be good on one hand because they got to meet up with everyone.

Part 12

Kris stopped mid-step overwhelmed by the realisation that the previous night was the last night they would spend in the mansion. He was upset, as it was the place of so many firsts for him and Adam. This was where he had told Adam of his feelings, their first kiss was on a sun lounger by the pool and the bedroom was the place they had first made love.

“You okay, Kris?” Adam said gently, worried that his love was standing in the hallway staring at nothing.

Kris admitted, “Not really, it’s just that we’re not going to be here again after the show. It’ll just be sad to leave.”

Adam said honestly, “I know this place has been good to us and it's where we shared a lot of firsts but think of it this way, we will have a other firsts in our new home...a first kiss and a first time making love in a place that is truly ours.”

Laughing Kris said, “I guess you’re right.”

“I'm always right,” Adam said indignantly before continuing, “So, do you think we should tell Andrea that we’re going to come out?”

Unconcerned Kris shrugged, “We may as well, the whole world’s going to know about us tonight anyway.”

With that thought in mind, the couple left the mansion, Kris was carrying two bags since he had managed to out stubborn Adam for a change. Although they wouldn’t be checking into their hotel for hours, it made sense to have their essentials packed so they didn’t have to rush back later.

*******

Voice professionally polite Andrea Fletcher said, “Kris, I’ve been looking through the papers Katy filed. Katy has specified that date of your separation as May 12th 2009\. Do you agree with this date?”

“Yeah,” Kris said, happy to use the date since it was the day he had written what Daniel called his Dear Jane letter.

Writing quickly in her notebook Andrea looked up saying, “Katy is seeking the house, furniture, appliances, all the jewellery you gave her, half of the money in your joint bank account and the family car.”

Kris nodded in acceptance, unsurprised that Katy was following through on her threat to take everything he had. Kris would happily give her everything, it was the least he could do since he had hurt her so deeply.

“She can have it,” Kris said quickly.

Andrea nodded, “Okay. Now if she agrees to the settlement, you may be able to avoid a brutal court battle. Now do you have any information that may be useful?”

“Adam and I are going to come out tonight,” Kris said bluntly.

Thinking about how this could affect everything Andrea assessed, “It may make the divorce a little messier; then again Katy may wish to just get divorced quietly so there is less media coverage.”

Kris snorted at that, knowing that Katy was anything but predictable. She would undoubtedly use the media to attack him and Adam. At least he and Adam had PR gurus Ryan and Simon for advice should they need them, even if Simon did sound like some freaky showbiz Mafia Don at times.

“Thanks for letting me know,” Andrea said sincerely before continuing, “Unless you have anything else you need to discuss, I think that’s everything.”

“I can’t think of anything. Goodbye and thank you, Andrea,” Kris said thoughtfully.

Andrea watched the couple leave her office, hoping that they were truly prepared for what was going to happen once they revealed their relationship. They were going to be caught in a hurricane of hate, fear, derision, and admiration; if they were not strong enough it would destroy their relationship. At least one of them would be signed with 19 Entertainment who were very protective of their clients and very effective at PR. The record company would probably be able to control the worst of the publicity whilst improving the profile and image of the couple.

“You were quiet in there,.” Kris commented to Adam, smiling softly at the faint blush his words produced.

Adam shrugged answering, “I couldn’t think of anything to say. You handled everything perfectly. So how do you think Katy will react?”

“She’ll go to the press. She’s not exactly rational when it comes to us and to be honest, she’s got one hell of a temper. At least we’ve got plenty of people on our side and I'm sure Simon or Ryan could give us some advice.”

*******

Kris narrowed his eyes as he watched Adam in the mirrors as they rehearsed Smooth noticing how his lover smiled at Jorge as the man writhed with the music. He knew it was irrational, he knew Adam loved him and there was no evidence that Jorge was gay or even bisexual but he was still jealous. He didn’t want to see Adam looking at another man, especially Jorge who he had to admit was attractive. As soon as break was called, Kris pulled Adam out to one of the deserted rooms and pushed him up against the wall.

“You are mine,” Kris said heatedly before pulling Adam into a hot, passionate kiss.

Adam was panting when they broke the kiss, the thought crossing his mind that in the future he would happily repeat whatever it was that caused such an intense reaction. He felt lost in the storm of emotions in Kris’s eyes, lust, need, possessiveness and fear.

Adam said huskily, “Not that I'm complaining but what brought this on?”

“Jorge,” Kris replied stonily.

Shaking his head in disbelief Adam said reassuringly, “You’ve got nothing to worry about. I don’t want him. I just appreciate how much he gets into the music, how he totally surrenders to the beat.”

“Okay,” Kris said satisfied and feeling a little embarrassed at how jealous he was. He could not help it; he just knew now the world was starting to see how amazing Adam was they would do anything to steal him away.

Stroking Kris’s neck comfortingly Adam said smiling, “I'm not going anywhere and this time tomorrow everyone will about us. We better get back to the rehearsals.” 

Kris nodded in acceptance and slung an arm around Adam as they walked back to the rehearsals. Kris ignored the raised eyebrows and the glee in Anoop’s eyes as he accepted $20.00 from Matt.

“Everyone take your marks, let’s start again from the top!”

Adam grinned slightly as everyone scrambled to obey the choreographer’s order. He knew they were getting coddled in comparison to what they would have to do on tour. The performances on show, including those they would be performing that night, were nothing compared to the tour. The tour would be far more demanding on their voices, stamina, sanity and dedication. Adam wasn’t sure if the rest of the top ten realised how much strain they would be under during the tour. Adam knew some would consider it an acceptable sacrifice to achieve their dream of performing to a regular, large audience.

*******

“Hey Ally-Cat. How has been in the real world?” Adam said with a wide smile.

“It’s been good. I must have done a ton of interviews and people have been asking for my autograph, it’s just wow,” Alison said with a laugh.

Adam didn’t get a chance to say anything before he was wrapped in a familiar embrace, Kris was flush against his back, arms circling Adam’s midriff. Inhaling the unmistakable and comforting scent of his lover Adam surrendered to the moment, taking in the serenity that came from being with Kris.

Kris sighed in regret as he let go of Adam and moved to the side, where he could see Alison’s beaming smile. Looking at the girl, he marvelled at how much she had changed from the somewhat scared, insecure girl he had met months ago. He grinned as he noticed how Alison had picked up some of Adam’s body language, it was cute and reminded him of how he had emulated Daniel during his hero worship phase.

“You two are so cute!” Alison said with a wide grin before continuing, “So this time tomorrow one of you will be the 2009 American Idol, are you okay with that?”

Adam nodded, “Yeah, this was always a contest.”

Kris said sincerely, “Like we’d let something so small ruin our relationship. It’s great that it’s the two of us in final, it kinda feels like it’s marking the end of one era and the start of another.”

Alison asked, “That’s great. So are you nervous?”

“That was yesterday,” Kris wryly stated.

Alison quickly said, “I'll be rooting for both of you, bros. Do you want to do something tomorrow to celebrate?”

Kris nodded, “Sure, but the show might have a lot of press stuff scheduled.”

“Just call my cell once you know your schedule. Now I’ve got to go shopping and get some last minute things for tonight.”

“Okay, honey. See you later,” Adam said kissing the girl’s cheek and smiling when Kris did the same.

After Alison had left the room, Kris turned to his love and smiled, it was amazing how much the show had done for him. It had given him the chance at the career of his dreams and had helped him find the love of his life. While his life wasn’t turning out the way he had planned, Kris didn’t care, he was happier than he had ever imagined and there was a whole new world waiting for him. He knew Adam would be walking beside him on his journey through life. No matter what happened to his career, or how the press vilified him, Adam would be there and that made everything tolerable.

*******

Panicked Kris said, “I can’t do this!”

“We don’t have to come out now. I’ll wait until you are ready,” Adam whispered into Kris’s ear, holding his lover tight.

Kris said urgently, “No, I want everyone to know about us, just don’t leave my side.”

“Never,” Adam vowed before gently kissing Kris’s neck.

Kris smiled softly saying, “I'll hold you to that. Now, let’s get out there and give America a show they will never forget.”

Adam nodded, pulling Kris into his arms for a long, slow passionate kiss. At the beep of his phone, Adam pulled back from the kiss, he had set his phone alarm to three minutes before they were due to take their places.

Kris smiled adoringly as Adam quickly ran to the mirror and checked his appearance was perfect. Kris knew that Adam was not vain, in fact his lover was relatively insecure about his appearance and checked the mirror often to make sure all of what he considered blemishes were hidden. Kris thought Adam looked amazing with or without the make-up and fake tan, Adam’s adorable freckles were visible.

*******

Everything seemed to happen so quickly, one moment they were just getting ready to go on stage and the next thing they were standing together in front of Ryan. As Ryan drew out the results, as normal Kris could feel his heart racing, he hated the way Ryan did this every single time.

“KRIS ALLEN!” Ryan announced with a smile.

Kris stared in disbelief at Ryan’s words, he had never believed he would win the competition. He felt Adam shake him, trying to get him out of his shock but he couldn’t think properly. Adam hugged him and all the noise in the theatre disappeared, all he could hear was Adam.

“Congratulations, baby boy.” Adam said holding to his lover tight, feeling the shakes wracking Kris’s body.

Reluctantly Kris let go of Adam and watched as his love walked over to the other side of the stage were the rest of the American Idol top ten waited. He said answered Ryan’s questions with what he hoped was some level of coherency. Out of the corner of his eye, Kris saw Alison pushing Adam towards him. It was just like the girl to realise they needed to be together for this moment, to share the unforgettable experience.

As Adam walked over to him with one hand held out, Kris grabbed the offered hand and realised this was the moment he had been waiting for. As he pulled Adam to him, Kris captured Adam’s beautiful lips with his own. Kris stared into Adam’s beautiful, passion darkened eyes as they kissed, the kiss started gentle but slowly deepened. The kiss was soft, passionate, loving and sensual. He could hear the room had suddenly become silent but he didn’t care, it was the perfect end to the night, to feel Adam against him, to share his joy with his lover. They parted slowly with a series of quick kisses, Kris looped an arm around Adam’s waist.

“The wonder of live TV, folks! Now, Kris it is time for you to sing No Boundaries,” Ryan said as he walked over to the couple.

With a nod, Kris looked up at his partner and said, “Be back in a minute, love.”

Adam grinned as he moved to stand by Ryan, watching the audience as Kris sang. Adam was pleased to see there weren’t many openly hostile looks but then, most people in LA were pretty open minded, not to mention the audience was full of stars who would be able to mask any negative feelings.

After Kris finished singing, his parents and brother appeared on stage all of whom were smiling widely. Adam was shocked when Kim walked over and hugged him tightly as Kris approached. Placing an arm around Adam’s waist Kris smiled at his family as they offered their congratulations.

After the cameras were switched off, Kris looked up to see Simon approaching, his face unreadable. Even knowing that he could have screwed up his career, Kris could not regret what he had just done.

“Very brave and possibly damaging to your career,” Simon commented.

“It was something that I needed to do,” Kris said evenly, smiling slightly at the just readable envy and pride in Simon’s voice and eyes.

Ryan walked over smiling as he said, “Way to end the show, guys. At least there will be plenty of talk about the show.”

“Glad we could help you move up in the ratings,” Adam said dryly.

Simon smirked, “Don’t worry about it. Now get out there and make nice with the press. Do not comment about Katy tonight, you probably couldn’t come up with a coherent sentence if someone paid you a million dollars.”

“Okay,” Kris said quickly, willing to let the whole Katy issue wait until tomorrow when he was flying on air from having made love with Adam.

*******

Kris hungrily pulled Adam’s mouth to his own, tongue thrusting into Adam’s mouth, taking, owning and possessing. He moaned in distress when Adam broke the kiss. He was left breathless as Adam smoothly straddled his waist, the brief skin to skin contact making him yearn for more. Gently Adam placed teasingly light kisses from Kris’s throat to his chest, at the sting of Adam’s teeth on his nipples, Kris couldn’t help but whimper, growling at his lover’s lustful laugh.

Kris said huskily, “Adam, I love you but if you don’t hurry up, I will tie you down and tease you until you are desperate to come then make you watch as I stroke myself until I come all over you.”

Hearing Kris’s desperation, Adam smirked saying, “That sounds like fun, baby boy. We’ll have to try that sometime. Okay, no more teasing!”

Kris gave a satisfied sigh as Adam sinuously moved down the bed, stopping to give Kris’s hard, leaking cock three strokes and a messy kiss. The feel of Adam’s hands caressing his ass was incredibly arousing.

“Relax, this is going to feel a little strange at first,” Adam said gently.

Gasping in surprise at the feel of Adam’s slick finger caressing his entrance, Kris stilled briefly, when he felt the teasing finger pressing its way inside. As Adam gently thrust his finger, Kris first found it a slightly strange sensation, but then Adam’s finger nailed Kris’s prostate with every other thrust. Then Adam added another finger and started thrusting his fingers, on each thrust he just lightly touched Kris’s sweet spot.

“Fuck!” Kris panted with a lick of his lips.

“Welcome to the wonders of the prostate,” Adam said with a sexy smirk before continuing, “I'm going to put my cock inside you now but if you want me to stop, just say so. Put your legs on my shoulders.”

Fluidly moving Kris nodded in understanding as he looked up at his lover, whose face was flushed with need and desire. As Adam slowly slid his cock inside, Kris gasped at the small unexpected twinge of pain.

When Adam ceased his movements, Kris ordered, “Don’t you dare stop!”

Soon Adam’s full length was inside Kris, who took a moment to get used to the sensation before moving backwards. Adam started thrusting inside Kris, carefully moving slowly at first to give his lover a chance to get used to the sensation. With the sound of Kris’s panting, moans and begs for more Adam knew he wasn’t going to last much longer so he increased his thrusts, feeling Kris pushing back to meet him. As he felt himself getting closer to the edge, Adam started stroking Kris’s cock using the quick, hard strokes his lover seemed to prefer.

Kris called Adam’s name as he came, the contractions of his ass causing Adam to gasp, thrusting twice more into Kris before he came moaning his lover’s name. After they had regained control of themselves and he felt his legs could support him, Adam pulled out with a small smile at Kris’s moan. Walking to the bathroom, Adam disposed of the condom before grabbing a washcloth to clean them up. He gently cleaned them both before getting into bed, sighing in contentment when Kris spooned him.

“That was amazing, you were amazing.”

“So were you, love. Now let’s get to sleep, you have exhausted me,” Adam said with a happy sigh as he clasped Kris’s hand which was lovingly resting on Adam’s stomach.

*******

American Idol’s Kradam Reveal All

Two weeks ago Adam Lambert and Kris Allen shared a heated kiss live on television just before Kris was due to sing the winner’s song. It was perfectly timed to make sure it could not be edited out, making it clear that they were declaring themselves an official couple who would not be thrust into a closet by anyone.

Since coming out the couple, named by fans as Kradam, have been dogged by accusations about their relationship, one paper saying the pair was not dating and it was just a PR stunt. Some Christian groups accused Adam of having turned Kris away from God. Despite the fervour about their relationship, the couple’s only comments have been that they are very much in love and that Kris’s divorce proceedings had started before the finale. Today the pair exclusively gave a no holds barred interview about their relationship and their lives together.

What was it like when you first started rooming together?

Kris: We talked about everything and quickly became friends. Music was a large part of us becoming friends in the first place; we talked about our favourite artists, styles and lyrics. Adam became my best friend, within weeks I spent most of my time with him. Sometimes we talked or went out but sometimes we just silently listened to music or just relaxed with each other in a comfortable silence.

Adam: Kris and I share the same passion for music and it is hard to find someone who just gets it, you know? At night, we would lie in our beds and just talk about everything, it felt comfortable, as if we had known each other for years. We just got each other and we talked about everything.

There are articles indicating that someone in the Idol mansion felt you were dating by the second week of the show. Did any of your housemates ever indicate that they thought you would be a couple?

Adam:  When we got back to the house one night after filming, Lil asked me if Kris and I were dating, I said that we weren’t but that Kris was my best friend. I asked why she thought we were and she said that we spent a lot more time together than most male friends did, we touched each other a lot and that when we were in a room full of people, we just seemed to gravitate towards each other. It’s true, we pretty much didn’t care about personal space when it came to each other. It was common to find us leaning on each other as we watched TV or read a book together on the couch, we hugged if we felt like it, and were pretty much just very touchy-feely.

Kris: Anoop told me the other day that he had a bet with Matt G that Adam and I would start dating. Apparently, around the fourth week it was clear that we were in love with each other but they were just waiting for me to catch the clue bus.

Really, how did you feel about that?

Kris: I couldn’t believe it. If you had told me back then that I would end up falling in love with a man, even one as amazing as Adam, I would have laughed. I do love Adam though and the fact that he’s a man doesn’t matter.

To be blunt, the thought of having sex with a man never scared you or made you think twice about your relationship?

Adam: Our sex life is nothing to do with you or America.

Kris: It’s okay, love. No, it never scared me or made me reconsider our relationship. I want to be with Adam in every way and our sex life is amazing. That’s all I’ve got to say about it, you’re not getting any more details.

Who was the one to make the first move?

Kris: Me. Adam had told me he was gay our first night in the mansion. He had laughed saying seriously not to worry because he didn’t go around seducing straight guys, so I knew I had to make the first move.

When did you fall in love?

Adam: I was attracted to Kris from the moment our eyes met across the room at Hollywood Week as cheesy as that sounds. I thought...hoped maybe, that it would just be a crush because I didn’t want to get hurt again. As we got to know each other more and spent more time together, it evolved into love. I knew Kris was married so I accepted he would not return my feelings but it didn’t stop me from wanting to be around him even though it hurt. I wanted Kris in my life in any way I could have him.

Kris: It didn’t happen all at once for me, it was a slow thing. Adam and I just clicked when we met, I knew that he would always be a big part of my life, I just never realised I would fall in love with him. Now I can’t imagine not being in love with him.

Adam was hurt and it brought my world to a grinding halt. We were in the dressing room after performing our duet and Adam was asleep, a friend appeared and asked me to consider what it would feel like to lose Katy from my life to how it would feel to lose Adam. I realised that Adam was a loss I couldn’t heal from. That night, I told Adam that I was in love with him. He thought I was just confused or feeling alone. Eventually I convinced Adam of my feelings and the rest is history.

What about Katy’s interview saying you had been having sex with Adam for months before you realised your feelings and became a couple?

Kris: I never cheated on her. I told her once I realised my feelings and convinced Adam that I truly loved him. I'll admit that I kissed Adam before Katy knew about us but that’s it. Adam and I slept in the same bed but we didn’t do anything else. I know some might think that it was ridiculous that I asked Katy for a divorce right after I realised how much I loved Adam but I knew that I had to follow my heart.

When did your families know about your relationship?

Kris: We told them almost immediately and they all accepted us. My mom said that she knew a long time ago that Adam was important to me and when she saw us performing together she knew that we had chemistry.

Adam: My brother knew about my feelings for Kris almost immediately and was a little worried that I would get hurt. I called my parents and told them. We had a joint family meal before the final results and it went well. It’s been great really because it makes everything a lot easier when everyone likes each other.

Why did you decide to come out on the show?

Kris: We had already let the people close to us know about our relationship and I refused to hide our relationship. I wanted to able to walk down the street and kiss my partner if I want. Why should I hide my love for the most amazing man on the planet, who is beautiful in every way, kind, talented, thoughtful and awe-inspiring?

Adam: Love you too, BB. I left it up to Kris to decide, I wanted him to come out when he was ready. No one should be forced to come out, everyone knows when is the right time for them.

Why did you decide to do this interview?

Adam: Since the press is having fun making accusations and dissecting our every interaction on the show, we felt it best to tell the truth. As for the accusations that this is a publicity stunt, we would never do that. I pity those who are so unloved that they can’t imagine any other reason why we would be together. I may be a lot of things but I'm not a media whore who is so desperate for a career that I would do such a thing.

Kris: I'm tired of people saying that Adam led me astray or away from my religion. I love Adam and I still have my faith, I can’t see why that should change or why I would now be considered wrong or immoral. God loves all his people, he is not prejudiced like the human race can be, he doesn’t care about sexuality, gender, race, culture or social status.

So what is next for you?

Adam: We’ve got to redecorate our place, make it more a reflection of us. I don’t know if we’ll have time to do it before we go on tour. Career wise, we’ve both got recording contracts so we’ll be going into the studio soon to record.

Kris: I don’t know what will happen in the future, but I do know that Adam and I will be together. Adam is my split apart, my match. 

Final question, will your albums include a duet?

Adam: No idea. It was great doing Seether’s Broken together but to be honest, we’re two different types of artists so it might not feel right. We’re not going to do something that doesn’t sound or feel natural when it comes to our music. We’re not a couple who have to collaborate on everything we do, we have separate careers.

Kris: Yeah, just because we’re a couple who are both singers doesn’t mean that we have to record something together. We’re both writing some songs so we could end up writing a song together sometime, I don’t know.

*******

Adam looked at the newspaper article from a just under a year ago, their first interview as a couple. They had been so terrified about doing the interview together, knowing it could either turn most of the public against them or finally make people see the truth – they were just a couple in love. Thankfully, they had received a good response and the amount of hate mail considerably reduced.

At first Adam had kept the hate mail a secret from Kris, having become accustomed to such reactions and not wanting to see Kris hurt. That had led to their first major argument as Kris explained that he would not be coddled like some naive idiot and Adam protested that it was just because he couldn’t stand to see Kris hurt when he could do something to stop it. They had come to see each other’s point of view and Adam promised not to keep anything else a secret even if he was trying to stop Kris from getting hurt.

The last year had been amazing in every way, they had become stronger as a couple and thankfully didn’t argue a lot. Once the divorce had come through a lot of the negative press had cooled down, of course that didn’t stop the paparazzi from following them around. The couple had come to accept it, apparently they were regarded as the hot gay super couple.

Their careers had exploded so quickly that they barely had time to breathe, their debut albums had both become number one in the Top 40 within weeks of each other. Kris’s had been released two weeks before Adam’s at their insistence, the label wanted to release them at the same time but the couple had point blank refused.

Adam and Kris had carefully planned their tour dates so that they would get to be in the same city at the same time at least once a month. Some of their friends had found the arrangement weird but Adam had laughingly explained that phone sex was not enough and anyone who expected him to be without Kris for any longer was clearly on drugs.

Today was their first performance back on American Idol, at Simon and Ryan’s requests they had agreed to reprise their first duet since the couple had become good friends to them. Although Simon and Ryan had not yet come out, Adam had a feeling it would be happening soon since Simon had confided that this would be his last season of American Idol.  
  
Ryan said grinning, “Before we announce the results of the top three, we have a special surprise for everyone, a performance from two of the most successful American Idol contestants in the history of the show and the first couple to announce their relationship live on stage, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert!”

When the spotlight hit him Adam gave a sexy smirk as he started singing walking over to Kris.

 “I wanted you to know  
That I love the way you laugh  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain …away  
I keep your photograph  
And I know it serves me well  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain”

Holding onto Adam’s arm Kris’s face showed desperation as they sang,

“You've gone away  
You don't feel me here....anymore”  
  
Adam walked away from Kris, his posture and face reflecting his distress as he started singing

“You've gone away  
You don't feel me here...anymore”  
  
As they matched each other step for step, Kris sang,

“The worst is over now  
And we can breathe again  
I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away”  

Smoothly spinning on the heel of his black and red boots Adam slowly stalked towards the centre of stage singing,

“There's so much left to learn  
And no one left to fight  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain”

Admiring how Adam’s leather pants showed off his amazing body Kris copied his lover singing,

“‘cause I'm broken when I'm open  
And I don't feel like I am strong enough  
cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away”  
  
At the centre of the stage the pair kneeled in front of each other; voices blending effortlessly as they sang,

“cause I'm broken when I'm open  
And I don't feel like I am strong enough  
cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away”  
  
Reaching out to Adam and holding his hand Kris sang,

cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away”

Regret on his face Adam brought his right hand to cup Kris’s face singing softly,

“You're gone away  
You don't feel me here....anymore”  
  
When the music finished, the couple stood with Kris’s arm going around Adam’s waist as he smiled at his lover.

Ryan said smiling, “Great performance, guys. So this has been an amazing year for you both, what are your plans next?”

Adam said smoothly, “I’ve got an album called Pain/Pleasure out at the end of July and a tour kicking off in late August until November.”

Kris seamlessly continued, “I’ve got my album, Beautiful Lies and the tour at the same times as Adam.”

Ryan said, “Wonderful, I can’t wait to hear them. Any advice for our contestants?”

Kris thought for a moment before answering, “Don’t over think your performance. The easiest way to mess up is by over thinking, it will stop you from connecting with the audience.”

Adam interjected, “I’d say have fun, because if you are then the audience can feel it. People won’t vote for you otherwise, not even if you have an amazing voice.”

“Please give a round of applause for one of America's most popular couples, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert, everyone!” Ryan said happily, as the couple walked off stage.

Kris smiled at his partner, unable to believe how quickly his life had changed because of one reality TV show. He thanked God that Daniel had pushed him into trying out for the show because it set him on the road to having a life filled with more joy and love than he ever thought possible. Adam was his and he was Adam’s, he felt deep down to the very core of his being that it was always supposed to be that way.

Epilogue

As they stood outside the LA mansion Adam smiled softly at Kris as they waited for Ryan or Simon to open the door, tonight would be the first time the two couples had attended the MTV Music Awards together. Simon tended to avoid the show but Ryan had convinced his partner they should go for a change giving them a chance to with the celebrities he didn’t see very often.

In the five years since the show, Kris and Adam had each had received Grammys and American Music Awards. Kris’s awards included the Favourite Pop/Rock Artist AMA and the Album of The Year Grammy for his third Album From The Heart; Adam’s awards included the Favourite Alternative Artist AMA and the Record of the Year Grammy for Pain/Pleasure. Adam had been surprised that Pain/Pleasure had won the award since many had criticised the song for being too explicit. Tonight Kris was a contender for the for the Best Male Video MTV award.

Simon and Ryan had come out four years ago in a typically flashy way; pictures of them kissing in a club during a double date with Adam and Kris. The four had become good friends and met up at least once a week when they were all in LA for lunch or dinner.

Adam had admired Simon’s brusque yet effective manner with the media, simply making a statement that there were always rumours about him and Ryan so why was everyone so surprised. He was amazed when Randy and Paula admitted during interviews they had no idea that their friends had even been attracted to each other.

Simon and Ryan were a lot happier now and still sniped at each other in public and in private, which had caused a few raised eyebrows. Adam didn’t care since they were happy together and he knew it was a form of foreplay for his friends. Ryan had said years ago that Simon engineered most of their arguments for the amazing make up sex and stupidly believed he didn’t know. Ryan was more than happy to let the charade continue; it thrilled him to know how much Simon wanted him, plus the sex was passionate, rough and amazing.

The door opened to reveal Simon wearing a black Armani suit with a navy shirt who smiled saying, “Come in, Ryan’s still getting ready.”

As he and Kris followed their friend into the lounge Adam said with a laugh, “Of course he is.”

Fifteen minutes later, wearing a navy suit and black shirt Ryan walked into the lounge to find Kris and Simon in conversation about the new songs Kris had written for Alison as Adam flicked through the latest edition of Rolling Stone.

Walking into the room Ryan said impatiently, “I always waiting for you three! We’re behind schedule here, we’ve got to be in the car in the next five minutes.”

“Sure you are, Sweetheart,” Simon said with a smirk. He knew better than to complain about how long Ryan took to get ready, his lover would make his life hell.

Adam smirked at Ryan’s words, his friend seemed to have every moment of the day scheduled. Although Adam liked to have a schedule of what he would be doing, he just made brief notes on his calendar of important events of the day. He would go insane if he even tried to keep an hourly schedule like Ryan.

Adam had asked about the schedule after finding it on Ryan’s beside table after helping the man pick out something to wear to an interview, Ryan had explained it helped him feel in control and made sure he had time off. It had made sense to Adam that some sort of schedule was needed as Ryan seemed to always be busy.

Workaholic Ryan seemed unable to say no when asked to take on a new project, American Idol had finished meaning Ryan had taken on other jobs that often meant he was gallivanting across the USA. It was something that Simon was still trying to change since it would give them more time together. Although he would never admit it, Simon missed his partner more than he had thought possible when Ryan was away from his side. In the past, they had coped just fine when separated for months but now they were an official couple as it were, he could not stand being deprived of Ryan’s presence. He would have to face the situation and tell Ryan how he felt and how much he needed his lover by his side.

Adam said with a smile, “Hey, you take even longer than me to get ready so don’t moan. Anyway, you have admit we look wonderful. We’re going to be the hottest people there.”

Ryan looked at his friends; once again struck by what a beautiful couple they were, it was easy to see why the pair were in the lists of the best, sexiest and most successful couples in magazine articles and surveys. The pair had been named the best-dressed couple in Vanity Fair in 2010, and were now often in the top five.

As he looked at Kris, Ryan could see how much the man’s style had changed since the show, he had no idea how much of that was due to Adam. Although Kris still wore checked shirts but now often accompanied them with tight jeans and boots.

Tonight Kris was wearing black boots, a red and black checked shirt with form fitting belted black jeans. His belt was a just because present from Adam during a brief tour stop in New York, it was a black belt with red stitching and a silver guitar belt buckle. Adam was wearing a black military long coat with a shimmer of glitter that matched the midnight blue steaks in his hair, a black shirt, tight black jeans and a pair of midnight blue boots.

Fifteen minutes later, Adam got out of the limousine, with a quick grin at the horde of paparazzi. Kris got out the car and grabbed Adam’s hand, ignoring the cameras furiously flashing.  The pair smiled and briefly posed for the cameras before moving aside for Simon and Ryan to get out of the car.

The four made their way down the red carpet, smiling at the assembled press and signing bits of paper thrust at them by eager fans. Adam loved interacting with his fans, even if it was just an autograph because he could see how important it was for each of them. As Kris signed autographs next to him, Adam quickly glanced into his partner’s eye knowing Kris shared his same joy and amazement at having people asking for photographs and signatures.

********

Kris smiled nervously as he waited for the winner to be announced, hating the cameras fixed on him at that moment. He knew it was something he should be used to since he had gone through American Idol and he had been nominated for numerous awards but it never got any easier.

Ryan smiled, “It gives me great pleasure to say the Best Male Video award goes to Kris Allen for the Promise of Forever video.”

Kris gasped in shock unable to believe he had won the award given the talented and popular other nominees. He grinned when Adam tightly hugged him and placed a quick kiss on his hair.

“Congratulations, love.” Adam said sincerely gently urging his love to stand up.

Kris walked to the stage, shaking a few hands and nodding in thanks as people said congratulations. Once on the stage, he hugged Ryan briefly before his friend moved back to fade into the background so Kris could give his acceptance speech.

Kris said with a smile, “I honestly didn’t think I would win given the calibre of the other nominees, there are so many people who I need to thank. I want to say thank you to everyone who helped me with this video; Tyler Clark who directed the video, Serena King who did the amazing choreography and Marisol Hernandez who did the computer graphics. My thanks also go out to everyone else who helped make the video; camera operators, stage hands and wardrobe.”

“Cocksucker!” A man yelled angrily, stopping Kris mid speech causing gasps of shock from the audience.

“Yeah and I'm amazing at it,” Kris retorted with a grin before continuing, “As I was saying, I'm going to be cliché and say thank you to my parents and brother.”

Kris wasn’t bothered by the heckle since he had heard such things before and compared to most insults he had received, it was pathetic. He couldn’t see the problem with being called a cocksucker since he loved sucking Adam’s cock.

Ryan was amazed at his friend’s quick, amazing and calm response. It was obvious how confident Kris had become since American Idol, as before he wasn’t so forthright or quick with a snappy rejoinder.

Eyes meeting Adam’s from across the room Kris said honestly, “Most of all I have to thank my wonderful partner and inspiration, Adam; who listened to five drafts of the song with a smile. I love Adam and want to spend the rest of my life with him. Adam, will you marry me?”

Adam stared at the stage in amazement; he couldn’t believe his occasionally shy lover was asking for his hand live on stage. He wanted nothing more than to marry Kris but years it had been impossible. Four and a half years ago they had drawn up the rights of survivorship and had become each other’s power of attorney. They had wanted to do as much as possible to make sure that their rights were protected. The law allowing gay marriage and recognising the equal rights of a gay married couple to that of a straight married couple had only been passed six months ago and Adam had spent months trying to come up with the perfect proposal but Kris beat him to it.

Realising he had been quiet for too long, Adam smiled widely saying, “Yes, yes, Kris. I love you too.”

The host, Sarah Michelle Geller walked over to the microphone and said, “That’s so romantic. What are you waiting for Kris, go and kiss your fiancé.”

Kris half ran off the stage into Adam’s opened arms, pulling his love in for a passionate kiss, never wanting to let go. At the whistles and catcalls, the pair reluctantly broke apart and took their seats, holding hands.

“Wow, I can’t believe you did that, I can’t wait to be your husband. I love you so much, Baby boy.”

Smiling widely at the joy in Adam’s voice Kris said, “I love you too, Sweetie. Do you think our moms will let us have any say in the ceremony?”

“No way, my mom’s been planning my wedding/commitment ceremony since I was about twenty,” Adam said with a laugh.

“So just smile and nod at their suggestions then?” Kris said with a smirk.

Adam said seriously, “Yeah, otherwise you won’t be in one piece and I am not getting married in a hospital.”

“Congratulations guys,” Simon said with a grin, knowing that Ryan would cry at the wedding.

Ryan always seemed to get upset at weddings, Simon had always wondered if it was because Ryan had accepted that since he was gay there was no chance of getting married. Although he loved Ryan, Simon would not marry him since he didn’t believe in marriage. Simon had of course done all that he could to protect them; wills had been drawn up on their six year anniversary, something Ryan had called a macabre present but had recognised it as Simon’s way of saying he was in their relationship for the long haul. Four years ago they had signed all the paperwork on their properties so that they were shared equally.

“This is so romantic, like a fairytale,” Ryan said with a grin.

Kris said thoughtfully, “An X-rated fairytale maybe.  Although, I like the living happily ever after part.”

“So do I,” Adam said giving Kris a long kiss.

The couple sat next to each other, holding hands and day dreaming about their wedding. Adam looked at Kris and smiled, happily ever after sounded just fine with him and perhaps one day they would take Alison up on her promise to act as their surrogate. He was content to let the future take care of itself since he now had everything he had ever wanted.

The End


End file.
